Number: 2016-01
WHEREAS, nonnative invasive species are one of the leading threats to U.S. wildlife, degrading and destroying habitats, disrupting food webs, and introducing new competitors, predators and unwanted hybridization; and
WHEREAS, invasive species are responsible, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for imperiling at least 400 species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; and
WHEREAS invasive species have enormous economic as well as ecological costs, resulting in about $120 billion in damages to the United States annually and negatively affecting property values, agricultural productivity, public health, utilities and other infrastructure, native fisheries, tourism, and outdoor recreation; and
WHEREAS, the problem of invasive species in the United States is growing, due to an increasing number of intentional and unintentional imports and introductions, and the continuing spread of already established invasives into new areas; and
WHEREAS, new and invasive wildlife and plant diseases adversely affecting natural ecosystems are becoming more prevalent, leading to further declines in wildlife populations; and
WHEREAS, climate change is exacerbating the adverse effects of many invasive species, and enabling their expansion into previously unsuitable habitats and regions; and
WHEREAS, many biologically vital lands and waters of the National Wildlife Refuge system are being severely degraded by infestations of invasive species, undermining the value of these areas for wildlife and in some instances, such as the Arthur R. Marshall Loxatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, putting their continued management by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at risk; and
WHEREAS, addressing the problem of invasive species requires a strong response involving prevention of new introductions, and effective planning and implementation for early detection and rapid response to eradicate newly established invasives, and control and management of established problem species; and
WHEREAS, the necessary strong responses are hobbled by inadequate Congressional funding, the need for increased multiple agency and private landowner coordination, and the absence of modern import regulations and authority.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in its Annual Meeting assembled June 16-18, 2016 in Estes Park, Colorado, calls on the U.S. Congress to appropriate significantly increased funding for a well-coordinated, comprehensive, and national response to invasive species that integrates prevention and eradication of new invasions with strategic efforts to control and manage established problem species, and in particular to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sufficient funding to control invasive species that are undermining the ecological value of its National Wildlife Refuges; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that scientifically sound and fiscally realistic, multi-year strategies be developed and systematically implemented to target specific invasive species on a site-specific and population-wide basis, and that these strategies emphasize eradication to secure the gains made rather than repetitive, scattershot treatments of the “worst infestations;” and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the recently released “National Framework for Early Detection and Rapid Response” be aggressively implemented by the federal government in collaboration with the States and others, in order to improve chances of eradicating new invasions before they become irreversibly established; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regulations for the import of potentially invasive live animals be strengthened and modernized, including ensuring that risk assessments are conducted prior to approval of import permits in order to reduce the incidence of harmful new invasions and their associated economic and environmental costs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that governmental bodies at every level, including Local, State, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture should use their current authority to designate species as conditional, prohibited, injurious, or noxious in a timely and responsive manner whenever scientific evidence justifies these or similar designations; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service be granted emergency authority to respond rapidly to emerging wildlife disease issues, comparable to emergency authority currently in place with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for domestic livestock, and the Centers for Disease Control to protect human health.