62 



can stay below the critical mass of those species I think we do have 

 a good chance of success. 



Senator Akaka. Mr. Lee, in a November letter to Dr. Sidicki of 

 the California Department of Agriculture, you State that the 

 present program of inspection of Hawaii mail bound for the main- 

 land has substantially reduced the number of pests contained in 

 parcels being mailed. I will place a copy of the letter in the hearing 

 record. 1 



Senator Akaka. Do you see any reason why a program carried 

 out in Hawaii to inspect arriving mainland mail would not have 

 similar benefits for Hawaii? 



Mr. Lee. Mr. Chairman, the inspection process would be equally 

 as effective on mail into Hawaii as on mail out of Hawaii. There 

 is a different set of legal questions to be resolved, however, but the 

 inspection process, per se, would be equally as effective either way. 



Senator Akaka. In my opening statement, I pointed out the in- 

 consistency of Federal policies. Passengers, cargo and mail bound 

 for the mainland from Hawaii is subject to inspection by APHIS. 

 Yet, the Federal Government has failed to institute an inspection 

 program to protect Hawaii from mainland and foreign pests. We 

 view this is a double standard. 



Despite enactment of the Alien Species Protection and Enforce- 

 ment Act, a biU requiring APHIS and the Postal Service to operate 

 a program to protect Hawaii from arriving pests, no inspection pro- 

 gram has yet been established. Is there any realistic hope that an 

 inspection program will be instituted in the near future? 



Mr. Lee. Mr. Chairman, I believe that there is a realistic hope 

 of instituting a program. Perhaps you are aware that we have been 

 meeting regularly with the State Department of Ag, with the post 

 office personnel and the Fish and Wildlife Service on trying to re- 

 solve, or more specifically identify the question of authorities, and 

 also to resolve the legal issue relative to securing Federal warrants 

 for species that are covered under the State law but not covered 

 under Federal law. If those specific issues might be resolved, then 

 I think there is a very good chance of implementing an inspection 

 program. 



Senator Akaka. Mr. Lee, in your testimony you State that 

 APHIS believes it must supplement its current regulations to bet- 

 ter meet the problems posed by invading non-indigenous orga- 

 nisms. In response, APHIS is developing comprehensive regula- 

 tions governing the introduction of alien pests. Will these regula- 

 tions govern intentional and accidental introductions or reintroduc- 

 tion of alien species to States where they are not currently present? 



Mr. Lee. Mr. Chairman, as currently drafted, it deals with the 

 introduction of new species, non-indigenous species. It does not at 

 the moment deal with the unintentional introduction, just the in- 

 tentional because of permitting and review requirements. However, 

 it further, though, in the draft language does include the interstate 

 movement after a species has been brought into a certain part of 

 the U.S and then subsequent movement from that initial introduc- 

 tion. So it is a yes and a slight yes in response to your question, 

 yes to the part on the intentional part, and then a slight yes to the 



I See page 112. 



