73 



species out or to reduce further distribution of a natural non-native population once 

 established, such as the case in the Africanized honey bee, saves money in the long 

 run and reduces the possibility of greater environmental contamination while better 

 protecting the health of the general population. 



PREPARED STATEMENT OF DON C. SCHMITZ 



Senator Akaka and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to 

 appear before you to make a statement concerning the Florida Department of Envi- 

 ronmental Protection's views on Federal policies governing the introduction of non- 

 indigenous plant and animal species. 



T^ to visualize with me for a few moments that unique ecosystem in south Flor- 

 ida known as the "Everglades." Picture in your mind its large expanses of native 

 sawgrass, its beautiful tree island hammocks, its slow, vast southern sheet flow of 

 water, its rare and endangered wildlife — the snail kite, the Florida panther, and the 

 American crocodile. Visualize the millions of birds that call this ecosystem home. 

 Try to understand the importance of this ecosvstem with its bio-diversity, not only 

 to the fish and wildlife, but to the citizens of southern Florida who depend upon 

 its water for life. Without it, the magnificent Florida Bay becomes an aquatic desert, 

 too salty to be a nursery for millions of marine organisms that are so vital as a food 

 source for both wildlife and humankind. And finally, try to visualize the economic 

 importance of this unique place, not only for its natural resources, but for its impor- 

 tance as one of the prime tourist destinations in all of the world. It has been des- 

 ignated a world heritage site, international biosphere reserve, and wetland of inter- 

 national importance. .„ « ^ r • .l- u n 



Now with this picture firmly in mind, picture if you will a fleet of gigantic bull- 

 dozers slowly crawUng their way across the vast expanses of the Everglades. As 

 they move, they destroy everything in their paths— the wetlands are filled in, the 

 waters are drained, the birds and animals are driven out, and their food sources 

 are forever lost. Imagine if you can, this slow and certain armada completely de- 

 stroying the Everglades in the course of a few short years. This scenario is the 

 equivalent of what is happening in the Everglades at this very moment as a result 

 of the invasion by the alien melaleuca trees. j j ■ 



The Australian melaleuca tree {Melaleuca quinquenervia), first introduced into 

 southern Florida for its "swamp-drying abilities" around the turn of the century, is 

 rapidly invading what remains of the Everglades wetland system at an estimated 

 rate of 50 acres per day. Dense melaleuca forests almost totally displace native 

 vegetation and its associated wildlife, resulting in a catastrophic loss of biological 

 diversity in these areas. Worse, the melaleuca tree is a thirsty tree using four tirnes 

 more water than the native grasses it displaces in the Everglades. Water is vital 

 to the Everglades, and the loss of valuable water resources will only increase as 

 melaleuca continues its relentless spread. This will threaten not only the ability of 

 the Everglades and Florida Bay to survive, but also the ability of the Biscayne aqui- 

 fer (which underlies an area of 3,200 sauare miles in Dade, Broward, and Palm 

 Beach Counties) to recharge. It is the sole source of fi-esh-water along this highly 

 populated coast. Left unchecked, the melaleuca invasion in the Everglades will de- 

 stroy this "river of grass," despite past and present efforts to preserve it for future 



generations. t-.i j 



More than 900 species of alien plants have become established in Florida, the ma- 

 jority of which are found in the State's wetland and upland forest ecosystems. Al- 

 most one half of these alien plants were intentionally imported as landscape 

 ornamentals, contaminants of agricultural practices, or as potential sources of food, 

 timber, fiber, and forage. Many of these biological pollutants were imported, pro- 

 moted, and released into Florida's environment by Federal agencies. The United 

 States Soil Conservation Service, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and 

 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) played pivotal roles m intro- 

 ducing and helping to spread many of the invasive alien plants that presently 

 plague Florida's natural areas. Present estimates indicate that more than 2y2 mil- 

 lion acres of Florida's remaining natural areas have become infested with non-native 

 plants. These alien plant and animal invasions can alter the very fabric of native 

 ecosystems. It can change them from once highly diverse biological systems to bland, 

 monospecific structures. 



Most Floridians, as is the case with most Americans, are unaware of the severe 

 ecological damage that invasive alien plant and animal species are causing in the 

 natural environment. Additional invasive alien plant species are invading Florida's 

 waterways and what remains of its natural coastal areas. Hydrilla (Hydrilla 

 verticillata), a submersed vine-like plant from Ceylon, is fouling, clogging, and de- 



