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Divide for each State. These routes
<br />represent the last opportunity to
<br />prevent introduction, and each route
<br />should have check stations for all
<br />vehicles pulling boats and trailers.
<br />States and other agencies have tried
<br />to educate the traveling public about
<br />the dangers inherent in spreading zebra
<br />mussels and how they might be
<br />inadvertently transported. Because of
<br />the possibility of transporting the
<br />mussel via land pathways, several States
<br />have developed pamphlets and are
<br />using other public relations tools in an
<br />attempt to reduce its spread. Public
<br />information and education could be an
<br />important part of the prevention
<br />program for reducing the spread of the
<br />zebra mussel.
<br />Even with an effective public
<br />education program, there may be
<br />uninformed, negligent, and perhaps
<br />well-meaning people who intentionally
<br />spread zebra mussels. Potential actions
<br />
<br />MONTANA I-15, I-90, 2, 89, 200, 43, 324,
<br /> 192, 20,26, 287 48, 2, 279
<br />WYOMING I-80, 20, 89, 287, 28, 789
<br /> 191, 26, 28, 30
<br />COLORADO I-70, 40, 34, 36 9, 91, 82,
<br /> 24, 50, 160 114, 149
<br />New Mexico I-40, 1-10, 64, 84, 112, 96, 44, 163, 35,
<br /> 84, 60, 180, 70 9, 81, 197, 509, 371
<br /> 53, 603, 12, 159, 146
<br />TABLE 3. MAJOR LAND ROUTES ACROSS THE CONT/NENTAL DIV/DE /N THE LIN/TED STATES.
<br />of these individuals must also be
<br />considered. Carlton (1993) reported
<br />several historic accounts in Europe,
<br />where people intentionally transplanted
<br />zebra mussels into new water systems
<br />for various purposes, such as increasing
<br />the "...diversity of nature". We believe
<br />that this could also happen in the
<br />Western United States, where reasons
<br />for intentionally transplanting zebra
<br />mussels could be to improve water
<br />quality in ponds, to provide food for
<br />~ waterfowl or mollusc-eating fish (i.e.,
<br />freshwater drum, sunfish, etc.), and
<br />possibly for culture purposes (for
<br />aquaria, fish bait, etc.).
<br />If the potential spread of zebra
<br />mussels is to be controlled, specific
<br />measures need to be established along
<br />the highways and roads between the
<br />infected and uninfected areas. Water-
<br />craft and trailers in transit along
<br />western routes should be monitored if
<br />
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