|
The Brown Treesnake
|
DOI | USDA |
---|---|
OIA: $2,808,228 FWS: $147,000 USGS: $445,000 Total: $3,400,228 |
APHIS/WS: $659,000 |
DOD | State/Local/Private |
DOD: $1,000,000 USACE: $371,949 Navy RDT&E: $243,000 Air Force: $250,000 Other DOD: $457,767 Total: $2,322,716 |
$245,217 |
Total: $6,627,161 |
The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), as a part of the
Department of the Interior (DOI), serves as the funding mechanism for
parts of the Brown Treesnake Control and Research Program. The
OIA’s primary interest in BTS is to assist in restoration of critical
habitat for endangered species on Guam, fund interdiction efforts to
prevent BTS from dispersing to other insular areas, and provide a stable
source of funding for research related to restoration and control efforts.
The OIA provides funding to several entities. Funding is routinely
provided to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services (USDA/WS),
the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Hawaii, the Northern Mariana
Islands (CNMI) and Guam.
Funding is provided to USGS to conduct research on ways to contain BTS and eradicate it. Their research includes data collection on snake demographics, continued monitoring of BTS prey, and risk analyses of BTS dispersal. The USGS also responds to snake sightings and conducts training for snake searchers in the Pacific region.
OIA provides funding to FWS to assist with coordination efforts. The FWS works to prevent the spread of BTS and works with territory government agencies to develop strategies and plans. With OIA providing the funding to FWS, Guam and the Brown Treesnake Control and Research Program remain a top priority.
With funding from OIA, the USDA searches commercial aircraft and the USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) conducts specific BTS research on control techniques such as chemical control methods, education/outreach, fumigants, repellants, toxicants, reproductive inhibitors and baits. The USDA also implements management programs for wildlife damages which use traps, hand capture, detector dogs, oral toxicants and public outreach. These programs reduce BTS populations in commercial and military ports of exit, power generation and distribution points, military housing facilities and endangered bird breeding sites.
Guam, with funding from OIA, maintains BTS traps in order to expand endangered species recovery efforts. Guam continues to monitor high-risk areas and maintains a public awareness campaign
The CNMI and Hawaii, with funding from OIA, conduct extensive incoming cargo searches and educational outreach programs.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is a major landowner on Guam, so the DOD has a responsibility to see that BTS is not accidentally exported to other Pacific Islands. The Air Force and Navy installations on Guam provide funding to USDA to conduct snake searches of outgoing cargo and Aircraft. Funding is also provided to conduct trapping at military housing sites as well as to support avian monitoring efforts.