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Invasive Species: Obstacles Hinder Federal Rapid Response to Growing Threat

GAO-01-724 Published: Jul 24, 2001. Publicly Released: Jul 31, 2001.
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Highlights

Invasive species--harmful, nonnative plants, animals, and microorganisms--are widespread throughout the United States, causing billions of dollars of damage annually to crops, rangelands, and waterways. An important part of pest control is quick action to eradicate or contain a potentially damaging invasive species. Federal rapid response to invasive species varies: species that threaten agricultural crops or livestock are far more likely to elicit a rapid response than those primarily affecting forestry or other natural areas, including rangelands and water areas. A major obstacle to rapid response is the lack of a national system to address invasive species. Other obstacles to rapid response include the need for additional detection systems to identify new species; improved partnerships among federal, state, and local agencies; and better technologies to eradicate invasive species. The Invasive Species Council's Management Plan makes several recommendations for improving rapid response, including developing a program of coordinated rapid response and pursuing increases in discretionary spending to support the program. A concerted effort to improve the rapid response is clearly needed. If properly implemented, the Council's recommendations will go a long way toward developing a national system to address this pressing need.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Invasive Species Council The co-chairs of the Invasive Species Council--the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior--should direct the Council members to develop criteria for what constitutes a rapid response, including examples of activities that fall into that category.
Closed – Implemented
In January 2002, the Council departmental liaisons and the Council staff finalized rapid response criteria with examples of activities that constitute rapid response. According to the Council staff, implementing this recommendation is helping them to focus their rapid response implementation efforts for the federal Invasive Species Plan.
Invasive Species Council The co-chairs of the Invasive Species Council--the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior--should direct the Council members to, based on the criteria established above, develop information on their Departments' rapid response funding and the programs and activities that receive funding.
Closed – Implemented
The National Invasive Species Council, in its fiscal year 2005 budget, provided information on each Departments' funding for rapid response, according to a standard definition developed in response to GAO's prior recommendation. They also described rapid response activities and species being addressed.
Invasive Species Council The co-chairs of the Invasive Species Council--the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior--should direct the Council members to, in collaboration with the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, establish rapid response priorities to help identify resource needs and guide the discretionary actions of agencies in addressing invasive species.
Closed – Implemented
In June 2003, the National Invasive Species Council, in collaboration with the Invasive Species Advisory Council, published guidelines identifying priorities for rapid response to help identify resource needs and guide the discretionary actions of agencies in addressing invasive species.

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Topics

Agricultural pestsEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesInteragency relationsPest controlPesticidesPestsInvasive speciesSpeciesWildlife