HALTING THE INVASION State Tools for Invasive Species Management Cover artwork by Metadog Design Group Drawings are of kudzu, purple loos- estrife, zebra mussel and Asian long- horned beetle. HALTING THE INVASION: State Tools for Invasive Species Management THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE AUGUST 2002 Environmental Law Institute® Copyright© 2002 Halting the Invasion: State Tools for Invasive Species Management Copyright © 2002 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. ISBN No. 1-58576-C42-0. ELI Project No. 020101, 003108. An electronic retrievable copy (PDF file) of this report may be obtained for no cost from the Environmental Law Institute website <www.eli.org>, click on “Publi- cations” then “2002 Research Reports” to locate the file. [Note: ELI Terms of Use will apply and are available on site.] (Environmental Law Institute®, The Environmental Forum®, and ELR® – The Environmental Law Reporter® are registered trademarks of the Environ- mental Law Institute.) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This publication is a project of the Environmental Law Institute. Funding was provided by generous grants from the George Gund Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Authors of the report are Meg Filbey, Christina Kennedy, Jessica Wilkinson, and Jennifer Balch. The primary researchers are Meg Filbey, Michael O’Grady, Bruce Myers, Christina Kennedy, Carl Bruch, Roman Czebiniak, Nadtya Ruiz, Samantha Klein, and Megan Adams. Jim McElfish provided valuable guidance and oversight of the legal research, and Jennifer Balch provided editorial assistance. The Environmental Law Institute is responsible for the views and research contained in this report, including any omissions or inaccuracies that may appear. The information contained in the report was obtained primarily through the research of state statutes and regulations conducted from February 2001 through February 2002. Al- though we believe that the report captures the vast majority of the state invasive species tools and programs autho- rized through state law or promulgated through state rulemaking, we cannot guarantee its complete accuracy. Com- ments or corrections are welcome and should be directed to the authors. We gratefully acknowledge the help of the following people who provided us with valuable feedback on the final draft: Ann Bartuska Don Schmitz Executive Director for Invasive Species Invasive Weed Specialist The Nature Conservancy Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Invasive Plant Management MichaelBuck Division of Forestry and Wildlife Randy Westbrooks Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Invasive Plant Coordinator Field Office for Invasive Species Bob Devine U.S. Geological Survey Executive Director Biological Resources Division Environmental Working Group on Invasive Species Lori Williams Sharon K. Gross Executive Director Executive Secretary National Invasive Species Council Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Phyllis Windle Senior Scientist Eric M. Lane Global Environment Program State Weed Coordinator Union of Concerned Scientists Colorado Department of Agriculture TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: Introduction........................................7 CHAPTER VII: Regulation................................49 Defining an Invasive Species......................................8 1. Permits and Licenses ....................................49 Prevention..................................................................8 2. Bonds and Insurance..................................55 Regulation........................................................9 3. Monitoring .................................................56 Control and Management........................................10 4. Transportation and Shipping Requirements.........56 Enforcement and Implementation...........................11 Coordination...........................................................11 Conclusion..............................................................12 CHAPTER VIII: Control and Management...............63 1. General Control and Management Authority...63 CHAPTER II: Biological Invasions—A Spreading 2. Emergency Powers.............................................67 Threat to America’s Natural Heritage.....................13 3. Biological Control Agents...............................69 Growing in Numbers...............................................13 4. Restoration.......................................................71 Growing Environmental Consequences...................14 Profiles of Invasion..................................................15 CHAPTER IX: Enforcement and Implementation..75 Posing Human Health Risks....................................16 1. Enforcement Authorities...............................75 Resulting Economic Costs.......................................17 2. Funding..................................................79 CHAPTER III: Federal Authorities and Roles.........19 CHAPTER X: Coordination Tools.............................83 Federal Authorities and Roles...................................19 1. Statewide Invasive Species Councils......................84 2. Statewide Invasive Species Plans...........................89 CHAPTER IV: Turning to States.............................23 Analysis of State Tools..............................................24 CHAPTER XI: Recommendations.............................95 Summary.........................................................100 CHAPTER V: Defining an Invasive Species............27 CHAPTER XII. Conclusions...................................102 CHAPTER VI: Prevention......................................33 1. Identifying and Mitigating Future Threats.....33 APPENDICES......................................................103 2. Detection..............................................36 Appendix A: State check-list......................................104 3. Import/Introduction/Release Requirements....39 Appendix B: Acronyms.......................................105 4. Quarantines......................................................43 Appendix C: Significant Federal Invasive Law...….106 5. Education........................................................45 Appendix D: Federal Agency Roles and Interagency Coordination................................................108 Glossary ……...........................................................111 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION on-native invasive species, or invasives, signifi- attention, particularly in recent years. However, despite cantly threaten the ecological integrity of our such increased awareness, current federal law offers lim- Nnation’s natural systems.1 These species invade ited protection from this menacing problem. Multiple natural communities, farmland, forestland, wetlands, federal laws and programs address invasive species in a waterways, and pastures. They displace native plants fragmented manner and primarily focus on the impacts and animals, disrupt ecological processes, upset the sta- to our natural resource-based industries, particularly bility of our ecosystems, and can permanently change agriculture; thus, they fail to adequately cover invasive our natural landscapes. Not only do invasives under- species that cause widespread damage to our natural mine biological diversity, but they also cause substan- areas. Federal resources currently devoted to this na- tial economic burdens. States and local governments tional catastrophe simply do not reflect the severity of spend hundreds of millions of dollars to control infes- the problem—neither its economic impacts nor its im- tations and damage caused by such invasive species as pacts to the nation’s biological diversity and biological the zebra mussel, Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora integrity. glabripennis), purple loosestrife, and melaleuca tree.2 It Even though many invasive species are not regu- is estimated that invasives cost the U.S. economy at least lated or controlled federally, states have passed a wide 137 billion dollars each year.3 array of laws designed to address invasive species prob- The large majority of non-native species—also re- lems. As with the federal invasive species programs, ferred to as exotic, alien, foreign, introduced, or state programs are varied and dispersed within and be- nonindigenous species—do not pose a threat to the natu- tween multiple state agencies and organizations. There ral or human systems in which they are introduced.4 are many opportunities, however, to utilize existing state However, a small percentage of non-native species that laws to address the problem of invasive species at a more do establish have the potential to become invasive and local level. Many states have agricultural pest control to cause significant economic, environmental, and hu- laws in place to address invasive species that pose a threat man health consequences. to agricultural crops. States are also beginning to adopt The economic and ecological harm caused by the non-agricultural weed prohibitions to protect natural prolific spread of invasive species has captured national systems, especially aquatic or wetland areas. Many of these laws provide states with the authority to control 1 This report adopts the definition outlined in Executive Order the spread of invasive species in the agricultural context 13112 on Invasive Species, signed by President Clinton on Febru- and to address invasive species that impact the natural ary 3, 1999, which states that an “invasive species” is one that is environment more broadly.