7837

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7837
• Author: Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
• Title: Report To Congress, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations of the Intentional Introductions Policy Review.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

generally apply only to new introductions. The
first is consistent with the language of the Act
and emphasizes the extent of shared ecological
and evolutionary history rather than a jurisdic-
tional boundary as the appropriate scale upon
which biologically meaningful decisions should
be based. The second represents a useful com-
promisebetween risk reduction and existing eco-
nomic dependencies. The goal of both is to avoid
creating situations that could lead to further
establishment of nuisance species.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
In general, the recommendations promote edu-
cation, cooperation, and accountability. Further,
because prevention is key to risk reduction, most
of the recommendations center around the deci-
sion-making process. The involvement of private
industry and public organizations is essential to
the effective implementation of Task Force
recommendations.
General
For the recommendations in this report to be
implemented effectively, both agency funding
authorizations and appropriations must be con-
sistent with the level of activity required by
Congress in the authorizing statute, and
requested in the President's budget.
Education and Extension
1A. Federal agencies should support the devel-
opment of education and extension programs
that promote or enhance: 1) general awareness
of nonindigenous species issues, 2) understand-
ing of the risks associated with introductions and
how to minimize them, 3) understanding and
enforcement of existing authorities, and 4) the
preferred use of indigenous species.
1 B. Federal agencies should support and facili-
tate the coordination of a national network of
clearinghouses for educational materials and
other nonindigenous species information that
would support the educational efforts presented
in recommendation IA.
Research
2. Federal agencies should support research that
enables: 1) better understanding of the risks
associated with introductions and how to mini-
mize them, 2) identification of specific pathogens
and parasites and methods of determining if pro-
posed introductions are specific pathogen-free,
3) the use of indigenous species, and 4) more
effective education and extension (i.e., evaluating
the efforts made under recommendation lA).
Existing Authority
3A. Ongoing uses of nonindigenous species
should be evaluated by their respective funding
or permitting agencies (State or Federal) to
determine their potential effects on indigenous
species and adjusted as feasible to minimize
risks.
3B. Appropriate Federal agencies should more
closely examine proposed new introductions to
determine whether they constitute major actions
with significant effects on the human environ-
ment and, if so, more fully and consistently
employ the NEPA process in their considerations
of proposed introductions. These same agencies
should ensure that their NEPA guidance proce-
dures reflect this concern.
3C. Appropriate Federal agencies should formal-
ize their compliance procedures to fully imple-
ment Executive Order 1 l 987 and within one
year of publication of this Report to Congress,
submit to the ANS Task Force a report of what
steps have been taken to achieve compliance.
3D. Federal agencies should not provide finan-
cial assistance for new introductions of aquatic
nonindigenous species (plant or animal) unless
the proposed introduction is consistent with EO
] 1987 and other existing or new Federal authori-
ties (e.g., Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and
the recommended permit system [see 4A below]
when developed).
3E. Improvements in Federal activity that should
be taken under the Lacey Act include:
1) expediting the injurious species listing
process;
2) fostering compliance with interstate com-
merce clauses of the Lacey Act by maintaining