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Weeds Committee, the Intermountain Noxious Weed Advisory Council (INWAC) and 

 the National Plant Board (NPB). The WSSA is composed of weed scientists in the 

 academic community, private industry, regulatory and public service industry and 

 private practitioners with a membership of approximately 2,300 members. INWAC 

 is a voluntary organization with membership from public and private sectors mainly 

 representing western States, whose function is to serve as a liaison between States, 

 Congress, Federal agencies and trade associations on issues regarding noxious 

 weeds. The NPB is composed of State plant pest regulatory officials from all 50 

 States and Puerto Rico. 



According to the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment on Harmful Non- 

 Indigenous Species in the United States, there are at least 4,500 species of foreign 

 origin that have established populations in this country. Many of these non-indige- 

 nous species including wheat, soybeans and cattle have played a significant role in 

 U.S. agriculture as we know it today. However, approximately 15 percent of all non- 

 indigenous species have been documented to cause severe harm. In many cases, spe- 

 cies have been introduced from distant geographical areas into the United States. 

 When these species are placed into new areas lacking environmental and biological 

 restraints of previous habitats, their aggressive behavior may allow them to become 

 serious pests in agricultural, rangeland, wetland or aquatic systems. 



The economic, health, and environmental costs due to the presence of plant pests 

 are staggering. I would hke to highlight examples of weed and insect pests in agri- 

 culture, forestry and natural areas which serve as indicators of the problems we are 

 experiencing today. 



Weeds compete directly with agricultural crops by reducing quantity and quality 

 and increasing overall weed management costs. According to the estimates derived 

 from the Weed Science Society of America Crop Losses Due to Weeds — 1992, losses 

 directly attributable to non-indigenous weeds are estimated to range from $3.6 bil- 

 lion to $5.4 billion dollars annually. This calculation does not include environ- 

 mental, human health, regulatory and other indirect costs associated with non-in- 

 digenous species estimated to be an additional $1 billion dollars annually. 

 Witchweed IStriga asiatica) is a semiparasitic plant that attacks com, sorghum, and 

 sugarcane reducing yields and restricting movement of commodities to other areas. 

 This non-indigenous species was detected on more than 430,000 acres in the States 

 of North and South Carolina in the late 1950's. Without direct intervention, this 

 pest represented a direct threat to com growing areas of the United States. A coop- 

 erative eradication project initiated by the USDA-APHIS, PPQ, North Carolina De- 

 partment of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department of Plant Industry has 

 been successftil in reducing the infested acreage to 38,000 acres. Direct costs associ- 

 a^ed with this weed to date have exceeded $150 miUion dollars. 



There are numerous examples of introduced insect pests causing serious threats 

 to agricultural production. The Mediterranean fruit fly {Ceratitis capitata) is consid- 

 ered one of the most destructive pests of citrus and other tropical and subtropical 

 finiits. Once established, this insect is capable of interrupting trade from the United 

 Stats to citrus growing areas in other parts of the world. Annual losses of up to 

 $897 million in damaged produce, control, and reduced export revenues have been 

 documented in several outbreaks in California alone. 



The European Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) (EGM) was accidently released in 

 Massachusetts in 1869. Since then the gypsy moth has spread throughout New Eng- 

 land, south to Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and west to Michigan. The 

 Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) was first detected in North America in British Columbia 

 (Canada) and the States of Oregon and Washington (U.S.) in 1991. During 1993, the 

 Asian Gypsy Moth was again introduced to the United States into eastern North 

 Carolina from Germany on shipments of military munitions. This strain is actually 

 a hybrid strain with DNA characteristics of both the AGM and the EGM. The intro- 

 duction of this insect into North Carolina represents a threat to forests and urban 

 areas of the State by causing tree death, alteration of species composition in natural 

 ecosystems and directly impacting the landscape. An eradication effort is planned 

 for this pest in North Carolina with program costs projected to be $9.4 million over 

 a 3 year period. 



On a national level, laws and regulations addressing non-indigenous species are 

 disjointed with responsibility for administration, implementation, control and regu- 

 latory functions spread over 21 agencies. In the current scheme, one specific agency 

 may have responsibility for control or eradication programs while others address 

 movement into the United States or interstate movement. This patchwork of agency 

 involvement has prevented, in many cases, a prompt and timely reaction to the in- 

 troduction of non-indigenous species thus allowing a prime opportunity for their full 

 establishment and subsequent spread. 



