107 



there have been some beneficial introductions, we should be able to reduce the risk 

 of non-indigenous aquatic species with the potential to become nuisance species 

 from becommg established. 



Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify on this important issue. 

 I will be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. 



PREPARED STATEMENT OF B. GLENN LEE 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to be here today to 

 discuss with you the report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) on Harm- 

 ful Non-Indigenous Species in the United States. The efforts of the U.S. Department 

 of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to 

 prevent and control the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) were reviewed in the 

 OTA report. 



USDA appreciates the tremendous effort that OTA put into creating such a com- 

 prehensive document. We understand the problems associated with NIS, and believe 

 the report generated valuable insight into approaches for handling such difficult is- 

 sues. As the report indicates, the negative effects of certain non-indigenous species 

 have created economic losses in the billions of dollars. For example, the annua] crop 

 losses attributable to non -indigenous weeds is approximately $2 billion to $3 billion. 



The OTA report concludes that a dynamic national agenda is needed to effectively 

 address NIS in the United States. We agree with this conclusion and assert that 

 USDA should be a major participant in this effort. APHIS, in particular, has signifi- 

 cant experience and expertise in monitoring and evaluating the dangers of NIS, and 

 in developing Federal/State cooperative regulatory programs for exclusion, control, 

 and eradication of non-indigenous plant and animal diseases and pests. We have 

 also worked with successful models for Federal, State, and industry voluntary pro- 

 grams to address these issues. 



We have traditionally been charged with protecting agriculture in the United 

 States from plant and animal pests and diseases, and noxious weeds. Generally, we 

 concentrate our efforts on excluding exotic agricultural diseases and pests. Where 

 feasible and cost-effective, we institute control or eradication activities such ae those 

 involving the screwworm, Mediterranean fruit fly, and boll weevil. On those occa- 

 sions where exotic agricultural diseases and pests become established in the United 

 States, APHIS may implement programs which 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, the OTA report recommends that APHIS, as U.S. Agriculture's 

 "first line of defense," more closely examine any proposed introduction (importation, 

 interstate movement, or release into the environment) into the United States of a 

 non-indigenous organism. APHIS believes it must supplement its current regula- 

 tions to better meet the problems posed by invading non-indigenous organisms. The 

 Agency is currently developing comprehensive regulations governing the introduc- 

 tion of non-indigenous organisms that may be plant pests. The regulations would 

 provide a means of screening proposed introductions of non-indigenous organisms to 

 determine potential plant pest risks. Of course, this would also entail an evaluation 

 of environmental effects of authorizing the introduction of non-indigenous organisms 

 as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 



Another area that has been highlighted as a problem is noxious weeds. The report 

 accurately states that APHIS currently regulates only interstate transport of nox- 

 ious weeds if a quarantine is in place, and imposes a quarantine only if a control 

 or eradication program exists. This practice is in accordance with the legislative his- 

 tory of the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974. APHIS has drafted new legislation 

 that would consolidate and streamline the plant quarantine laws. This draft legisla- 

 tion would expand the Agency's role in regulating noxious weeds and would elimi- 

 nate the requirement that the Agency initiate a control and eradication program 

 and impose a quarantine prior to regulating interstate movement of noxious weeds. 

 APHIS has also developed a comprehensive weed policy that will form the basis for 

 broader management and control of weeds. 



The Agency has also drafted legislation to consolidate and streamUne the animal 

 quarantine laws and allow for regulation of any material that can ceirry an animal 

 pest or the agent or vectors of disease. Both legislative proposals are currently 

 under Administration clearance. 



OTA contends that "responsibility for studying, regulating, and controlling harm- 

 ful NIS in non-agricultural areas such as parks and protected areas is a large 

 enough problem that it needs to be assigned explicitly to some agency or institu- 

 tion." APHIS is a member of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, which is, 



