[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8762-8764]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NUTRIA ERADICATION AND CONTROL ACT OF 2003

  Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 273) to provide for the eradication and control of 
nutria in Maryland and Louisiana.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 273

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

        This Act may be cited as the ``Nutria Eradication and 
     Control Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Wetlands and tidal marshes of the Chesapeake Bay and in 
     Louisiana provide significant cultural, economic, and 
     ecological benefits to the Nation.
       (2) The South American nutria (Myocastor coypus) is 
     directly contributing to substantial marsh loss in Maryland 
     and Louisiana on Federal, State, and private land.
       (3) Traditional harvest methods to control or eradicate 
     nutria have failed in Maryland and have had limited success 
     in the eradication of nutria in Louisiana. Consequently, 
     marsh loss is accelerating.
       (4) The nutria eradication and control pilot program 
     authorized by Public Law 105-322 is to develop new and 
     effective methods for eradication of nutria.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize the 
     Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to 
     the State of Maryland and the State of Louisiana for a 
     program to implement measures to eradicate or control nutria 
     and restore marshland damaged by nutria.

     SEC. 3. NUTRIA ERADICATION PROGRAM.

       (a) Grant Authority.--The Secretary of the Interior (in 
     this Act referred to as the ``Secretary''), subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, may provide financial 
     assistance to the State of Maryland and the State of 
     Louisiana for a program to implement measures to eradicate or 
     control nutria and restore marshland damaged by nutria.
       (b) Goals.--The goals of the program shall be to--
       (1) eradicate nutria in Maryland;
       (2) eradicate or control nutria in Louisiana and other 
     States; and
       (3) restore marshland damaged by nutria.
       (c) Activities.--In the State of Maryland, the Secretary 
     shall require that the program

[[Page 8763]]

     consist of management, research, and public education 
     activities carried out in accordance with the document 
     published by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
     entitled ``Eradication Strategies for Nutria in the 
     Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds'', dated March 2002.
       (d) Cost Sharing.--
       (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the costs of the 
     program may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the 
     program.
       (2) In-kind contributions.--The non-Federal share of the 
     costs of the program may be provided in the form of in-kind 
     contributions of materials or services.
       (e) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 5 
     percent of financial assistance provided by the Secretary 
     under this section may be used for administrative expenses.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For financial 
     assistance under this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary $4,000,000 for the State of 
     Maryland program and $2,000,000 for the State of Louisiana 
     program for each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 
     2008.

     SEC. 4. REPORT.

        No later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary and the National Invasive Species 
     Council shall--
       (1) give consideration to the 2002 report for the Louisiana 
     Department of Wildlife and Fisheries titled ``Nutria in 
     Louisiana'', and the 2002 document entitled ``Eradication 
     Strategies for Nutria in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay 
     Watersheds''; and
       (2) develop, in cooperation with the State of Louisiana 
     Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the State of 
     Maryland Department of Natural Resources, a long-term nutria 
     control or eradication program, as appropriate, with the 
     objective to significantly reduce and restore the damage 
     nutria cause to coastal wetlands in the States of Louisiana 
     and Maryland.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).
  Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to offer this measure along with the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). The fundamental goal of this 
legislation is to effectively address the growing problem of nutria 
that are destroying thousands of acres of essential wetland habitat. It 
also reauthorizes a 1998 law that created a pilot nutria program in 
Maryland at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Fishing Bay Wildlife 
Management Area, and Tudor farms.
  Since that time, Federal, State and local partners have worked 
together in Maryland to develop a nutria eradication strategy and to 
test restoration methods on the damaged marsh. Louisiana is working on 
a nutria control strategy and monitoring marsh recovery. These are both 
carefully crafted proposals which will systematically address nutria 
population control and marsh damage. They represent the culmination of 
scientific understanding about nutria population, dynamics and marsh 
impacts.
  Because of the nutria's incredible ability to proliferate, 
partnerships in both States must act aggressively to avoid population 
increases that could nullify previous effort and investment of public 
and private resources. Both Maryland and Louisiana are serious about 
nutria control and have contributed several million in non-Federal 
funds, and both are committed to providing models for the control of 
nutria in the 14 other States in which they are found. Full commitment 
from both Federal and State partners is needed to complete these models 
over the next 5 years.
  This semi-aquatic, nonnative rodent has no natural predators in 
Maryland, and they have consumed nearly half of the marsh lands on 
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. These marshes are vital to the 
survival of millions of migratory waterfowl, bald and golden eagles, 
and neotropical songbirds. The remaining acreage of Blackwater is in 
serious peril. Unless nutria are stopped, they will continue to destroy 
wetlands in Blackwater and other refuges on the Delmarva peninsula, and 
marshlands along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
  H.R. 273 will authorize Public Law 105-322, and it will implement the 
next step in the process, which is the eradication of nutria in 
Maryland as well as the restoration of damaged wetlands. In their 
testimony, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated: ``We recognize 
the need to continue cooperative efforts to eradicate nutria in the 
Chesapeake Bay region and will continue as a key Federal member of the 
nutria eradication partnership.''
  In addition, H.R. 273 authorizes money to alleviate the tremendous 
problems that nutria have caused in Louisiana. According to the 
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, these pesky rodents 
have damaged or destroyed over 100,000 acres of wetlands in their 
State.
  Under the terms of the bill, the Secretary of the Interior will 
undertake steps to control or eradicate nutria in the two states and 
together with the National Invasive Species Council develop a long-term 
nutria control and eradication program.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 273 will help to solve serious problems facing 
Maryland's Eastern Shore and Louisiana's marshlands. It will serve as a 
model for other States that may face the prospect of fighting against 
an invading population of nutria. I urge Members to vote for H.R. 273.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, as stated by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Gilchrest), the overall purpose of this legislation is to better 
coordinate and provide financial assistance to the States of Maryland 
and Louisiana in their efforts to eradicate and/or control nutria, a 
large member of the rodent family that has decimated wetland areas in 
both States.
  Madam Speaker, no one denies the fact that nutria have become far too 
abundant in some regions of both States. In addition, it is the 
consensus of wildlife biologists that greater effort should be 
undertaken now to control this invasive pest before it ruins more 
valuable fish and wildlife habitat. This legislation is 
noncontroversial and should also help conserve coastal wetlands, 
something which is very important to my district. I support H.R. 273 
and urge Members to do likewise.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume to close.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the leadership on the other side of the aisle 
for moving this legislation. We appreciate the cooperation we have had 
from the Democrats, as well as staff on both sides. I urge Members to 
vote for this very important piece of legislation.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Madam Speaker, Nutria is a rodent native to South 
America. They weigh approximately 18 pounds and resemble a beaver. In 
the 1930's, they were introduced into Louisiana. Studies indicate that 
female nutria are capable of producing up to 15 young per year. By 
1943, they were well established in our state. The population of nutria 
in Louisiana reached levels of 20 million--many times higher than any 
other state in the country.
  The preferred habitat of this rodent is wetland areas. They often dig 
intricate tunnel and burrow systems in their home range. Nutria have 
been known to eat rice, sugarcane, fruit and nut trees and seedlings of 
bald cypress, but prefer wetlands plants. Studies suggest that they 
waste 90 percent of plant material while feeding on the base and root 
system. This root system ``holds'' our fragile wetlands areas together. 
When the root systems are destroyed, so are the wetlands.
  Researchers in Louisiana have fenced off areas of wetland plants in 
known nutria breeding areas. The protected area have had wetlands 
plants exceed six feet in height, while the unprotected areas have 
literally turned into mud, and eventually, open water. Between 2000 and 
2001, the area of marsh converted to open water increased by over 4500 
acres as a results of nutria damage. These rodents have damaged or 
destroyed over 100,000 acres in Louisiana.
  The State of Louisiana has spent millions of dollars responding to 
this crisis. Nutria have been used as a source of fur, their meat has 
been placed on numerous restaurant menus and marketed by Louisiana's 
top chefs, they have been used as a food source for alligators in 
farming operations and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans used them in 
their animal feed. In 2001 dollars, pelts sold at levels as high as $31 
each in 1931, $23 each in 1977, and

[[Page 8764]]

today, $2.18 per pelt. In the late 1970's, trappers removed up to 1.9 
million nutria per year. More recently, despite the best efforts of the 
state, only 987 trapping licenses were sold and less than 30,000 nutria 
were taken.
  The American alligator is the most significant natural predator of 
nutria. In Louisiana, where alligator are most abundant, nutria 
comprise up to 60 percent of alligator diet. However, efforts to 
control the growing nutria population with alligator have proven 
insufficient. In fact, efforts to increase the alligator population to 
control nutria only resulted in a decrease of nutria in the alligator's 
diet and an increase in nutria trappers in alligator's diets.
  I am happy to join my friend from Maryland, Congressman Gilchrest, in 
this effort to protect our fragile wetland areas from future 
destruction by passage of H.R. 273. As you know, more endangered 
species depend upon the habitat provided by wetlands than any other 
environment for survival. In coastal areas, each mile of vegetated 
wetland also reduces storm surge by one foot--protecting these areas 
will save FEMA money in future natural disasters.
  This bill recognizes the wetland destruction caused by nutria in 
Louisiana and authorizes the Department of Interior to become a partner 
in our state's ongoing efforts to prevent further damage to inland and 
coastal wetland areas as a result of nutria.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1245

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 273.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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