Invasive Species

There are many more examples of the destruction invasive species can cause. The problem facing environmentalists and naturalists is management of these organisms. Management is important because invasive species can disrupt entire ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, endanger plants and animals, destroy landscapes and habitats, and transmit diseases. The United States National Park Service has proposed over 500 projects to eradicate invasive species in over 150 different parks. The cost of these projects would be over $80 million. The Park Service has also established an Integrated Pest Management Program with the agenda of controlling the introduction of new invasive species. Some National Park Service sites are being used as insect nurseries, where insects that could be used as biocontrol agents are harvested and distributed. In 1993, the Bureau of Land Management developed the Federal Interagency Committee for Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds to eradicate invasive plants on federal lands and to provide help to similar projects on public lands. In 1998, the Fish and Wildlife Service started a program in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to halt the spread of zebra mussels into these states.

In 1999, President Clinton signed an executive order to address the growing problem of invasive species in the United States. This order created an Invasive Species Council that will develop a proposal to minimize the detrimental effects caused by, as well as to prevent, the introduction of new invasive species. This council will work with groups at the state, university, and local levels to solve the problems these organisms can cause. The Council's budget for the year 2000 was approximately $30 million, to be used for program implementation as well as research. The agenda also includes the reintroduction of native species into their original habitats. Federal legislation has already been created to begin the process of restoration. The USDA now has over 1,300 inspectors at 90 ports of entry, assisted by the "Beagle Brigade," beagles trained to smell agricultural products being transported into the country. The USDA has also prohibited importing untreated wood packing material from China, which can carry the Asian long-horned beetle. A proposal has been made to other countries to enact this ban as well. A barrier is being built in the Chicago Ship Canal to stop the spread of invasive species from Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is funding research into possible ballast water treatments that could eliminate the introduction of invasive species from cargo ships. These measures will help eliminate some invasive species, but not all. More research is needed, and international programs need to be implemented in order to completely eradicate the problem of invasive species.