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the task force and, with the National Biological Survey, chairs a 

 number of task force committees. 



The cornerstone of the Act and the major responsibility of the 

 task force is the development of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Pro- 

 gram. This program has undergone public review and will be sent 

 to Congress this spring following administration clearance. The pri- 

 mary objectives of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program are to 

 prevent the introduction and dispersal of aquatic nuisance species; 

 to monitor, control and study aquatic nuisance species; and to dis- 

 seminate related information. 



The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, in 

 cooperation with State and local governments, have developed a 

 zebra mussel response program to prevent the spread of the zebra 

 mussel into the St. Croix National Scenic River. The St. Croix 

 River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, supports several native 

 species of endangered mussels. The Fish and Wildlife Service and 

 the Bureau of Reclamation are working together to determine the 

 feasibility of stopping or slowing the spread of zebra mussels west 

 of the Continental Divide, where they may impact large reservoirs, 

 dams and irrigation systems. 



Monitoring of non-indigenous species is necessary to detect new 

 introductions, track their dispersal, and document their effects on 

 aquatic ecosystems. The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force has 

 established a detection and monitoring committee to coordinate 

 monitoring activities and develop an information system to collect 

 and distribute this information. This committee, chaired by the Na- 

 tional Biological Survey, has proposed to use a geographic informa- 

 tion system developed by the Survey for documenting the occur- 

 rence and distribution of non-indigenous aquatic species and their 

 rate of spread. 



The control element of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program 

 outlines a risk assessment and management process to ensure 

 prompt and systematic evaluation of proposed control measures. In 

 response to a control proposal submitted by the Great Lakes Fish- 

 ery Commission, the task force developed a control program to slow 

 or stop the spread of the ruffe from Lake Superior. In addition to 

 serving as chair of the task force's Ruffe Control Committee, the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting population studies, surveil- 

 lance programs, and information and education programs. 



Research is an important element of the Aquatic Nuisance Spe- 

 cies Program. The Act directed the task force to develop a research 

 protocol to ensure that, "research activities carried out under the 

 Act do not result in the introduction of aquatic nuisance species to 

 waters of the United States." 



The Research Protocol Committee, chaired by the National Bio- 

 logical Survey, developed a protocol that consists of a risk assess- 

 ment and a set of guidelines outlining preventative containment 

 and confinement procedures that must be followed if research is 

 conducted under the Act. 



The National Biological Survey has conducted considerable re- 

 search to support management of problems related to aquatic nui- 

 sance species. Largely in response to the zebra mussel invasion, 

 about three-quarters of the National Biological Survey's fiscal year 

 1994 budget on all non-indigenous species, $3.5 million, is directed 



