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diseases and noxious weeds. Generally, we concentrate our efforts 

 on excluding the exotic agricultural diseases and pests and, where 

 feasible and cost-effective, we do institute control or eradication 

 programs such as those involving the screw worm, Mediterranean 

 fruit flies, other exotic fruit flies and the boll weevil. On occasions 

 where the disease and pest become established, APHIS may imple- 

 ment programs to manage and prevent their further spread. 



The OTA report identified a number of modified or new services 

 that APHIS or another agency could provide for effective protection 

 against harmful non-indigenous species. For example, any proposed 

 introduction, importation, interstate movement, release into the en- 

 vironment, and so forth, of a non-indigenous organism should be 

 examined more closely. The agency is currently developing com- 

 prehensive regulations governing the introduction of non-indige- 

 nous organisms that may be plant pests. The regulations would 

 provide a means for screening proposed introductions of non-indige- 

 nous organisms to determine the potential plant pest risks and 

 evaluation of environmental effects of authorizing the introduction 

 of the non-indigenous organism. That is required under NEPA. 



Another area that has been highlighted as a problem is noxious 

 weeds, and there were testimonies last week at this hearing on 

 that subject. The report accurately states that APHIS currently 

 regulates only the interstate transportation of noxious weeds if a 

 quarantine is in place and imposes the quarantine only if an eradi- 

 cation or control program is in place. Now, this practice is in ac- 

 cordance with the legislative history of the Federal Noxious Weed 

 Act of 1974. 



APHIS has drafted new legislation that would consolidate and 

 streamline the plant quarantine laws that we currently follow. This 

 draft legislation would expand the agency's role in regulating nox- 

 ious weeds and would eliminate the requirement that the agency 

 initiate a control and eradication program and impose a quarantine 

 prior to regulating the interstate movement of the noxious weeds. 

 APHIS has also developed a comprehensive weed policy that will 

 form the basis for broader management and control of weeds. 



APHIS is a member of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force 

 which is, in part, developing risk assessment and risk management 

 processes to evaluate environmental pests, as well as pests causing 

 more traditional economic damage. Other members of the panel al- 

 ready have addressed that issue. 



In addressing the problems associated with non-indigenous spe- 

 cies in Hawaii, OTA suggests that a greater Federal role might be 

 warranted. OTA also recognized, however, that increased Federal 

 involvement in domestic arrival inspections in Hawaii would re- 

 quire a change in APHIS' mandate, as well as increased staffing 

 and other resources to the agency to carry out that mandate. 

 APHIS is currently working on implementing a program for inspec- 

 tion of first-class mail from the mainland into Hawaii, which was 

 authorized by the Alien Species Prevention and Enforcement Act of 

 1992. 



The OTA also noted that APHIS does not consistently prevent re- 

 peated importation of pest species that are already estabhshed in 

 the U.S. "New, different strains of some species potentially may be 

 imported that would worsen the effects and spread into areas 



