46 



us to keep an eye on some of those areas to ensure that they are 

 included in any such consolidation. 



Dr. Chomesky may have something to add about that. 



Ms. Chornesky. I would just add to PhyUis' hst the noxious 

 weed issue, too. Again, I haven't seen their proposed consolidation, 

 so I don't know how effective it would be. 



Senator Akaka. Perhaps the most significant lessons identified in 

 the OTA report are that Federal and State approaches for combat- 

 ting alien pest problems need to be better coordinated. Based on 

 OTA's investigation, how much coordination tgikes place today? 



Ms. WiNDLE. We find that a fair amount of coordination takes 

 place in the agriculturgd arena, although the States still have com- 

 plaints about how well the Federal Government listens to them 

 and these relate to when Federal agencies decide to start and stop 

 programs and how responsive APHIS is to local concerns and sees 

 them as potential national problems. 



We found it more difficult to determine how much coordination 

 goes on between the Federal and State governments regarding fish 

 and wildlife. We know that the Federal Government provides funds 

 for States to introduce non-indigenous species, usually those that 

 are non-indigenous from one part of the U.S. to another, but we 

 couldn't determine how much cooperation there is to assess the ul- 

 timate impact of those species. 



We did make a careful analysis of State laws and found that we 

 cannot rely on the States to step in where there are Federal gaps 

 in a uniform fashion. But it would be very instructive to have the 

 States talking to each other along with the Federal agencies to 

 compare some of the very interesting approaches that States have 

 determined that are unlike anything the Federal Government has 

 attempted. 



Senator Akaka. Well, I thank you. Are there any fiirther com- 

 ments or questions? 



[No response.] 



Senator Akaka. If not, I want to thank you again, Dr. Windle 

 and Dr. Chornesky, for appearing here. Your testimony will be 

 helpful, and agEiin I want to commend you for that report. 



Ms. Windle. Thank you. 



Senator Akaka. I would like to have the next panel move for- 

 ward: Robert Davison, Department of the Interior, Deputy Assist- 

 ant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Katharine Kimball, Na- 

 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Deputy Assistant 

 Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere; B. Glen Lee, Department of 

 Agriculture, Deputy Administrator, Plant Protection and Quar- 

 antine; and William McCleese, Department of Agriculture, Acting 

 Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System. 



I welcome all of you here today at this hearing. I would like to 

 begin with Dr. Davison and ask for your statement. 



