Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2005. I am pleased to have Senators Inouye, Lautenberg and Levin join me in cosponsoring the bill. My legislation encourages Federal, state, and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes and private entities to work together through a cost-shared, cooperative grant program to control and mitigate the spread of invasive species.
Mr. President, invasive species are defined as harmful, nonnative plants, animals, or organisms likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. They are widespread throughout the United States and cause billions of dollars of damage annually to crops, rangelands, and waterways. The globalization of trade, the massive volume of cargo shipments, and rising tourism have combined to increase the chance of introductions of nonnative species into the United States. They are responsible for damage to native ecosystems and vital industries such as agriculture, fisheries, and ranching. The economic, social, recreational, and ecological losses attributable to invasive species are huge. A recent Cornell University study estimated that invasive plants and animals cost the U.S. economy $137 billion annually. The costs are predicted to increase substantially as more invasive species enter the country.
The implications of the nationwide invasive species problem are enormous. The Ecological Society of America notes that invasive species contribute to the listing of 35 to 46 percent of all threatened and endangered species. Nowhere, however, are the impacts greater than in my home state of Hawaii. Hawaii is known for its biodiversity. Hawaii has more than 10,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, invasive species are the number one cause of the decline of Hawaii's threatened and endangered species. This is a serious concern because of the 114 endangered species that have become extinct during the first 20 years of the Endangered Species Act, almost half were in Hawaii. Recently, gall wasps were found laying eggs in wiliwili trees. These trees were once a dominant species in dry Hawaiian forests. Now they are nearly 90 percent gone with the remnants of the remaining trees, primarily found on Maui and the Big Island, threatened by the invasive gall wasp. The fragility of our native species is compounded by the fact that most introduced species have no natural predators in the state, and such predators cannot simply cross a state border to enter Hawaii. Hawaii's Invasive Species Partnerships, a group comprised of a state council and island-based committees stated in its 2004 report that "the silent invasion of Hawaii by alien invasive species is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy, natural environment, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaii's people and visitors." Hawaii is plagued with pest invasions to a greater extent than almost any other location in the world. The invasion has limited our agricultural export market, decreased bio-diversity in the forests, and decimated native bird populations. It is imperative that this serious issue receive our full attention.
Mr. President, let me give you just a few examples of invasive species problems in Hawaii. Control efforts for the Formosan ground termite are estimated to cost residents in Hawaii more than $150 million per year. Damage to our agricultural industry and the related control costs of the Mediterranean fruit fly are more than $450 million annually. Miconia, an invasive tree infesting more than 15,000 acres of rainforest in Hawaii, eliminates the habitat of endangered plants and animals and causes serious erosion problems that threaten our water supply. Bush Beardgrass is a drought-tolerant grass that increases the risk of brushfires. Wildlife authorities say the grass is beyond control on Kauai and the Big Island. Native birds in our rainforests are succumbing to malaria spread through introduced mosquitos. Coqui frogs can reach densities of 8,000 frogs per acre and threaten Hawaii's real estate, export floriculture, and nursery industries. The brown tree snake has invaded Guam and devastated native bird populations there. If the snakes become established in Hawaii, economic costs have been estimated to exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. Red fire ants threaten the agriculture industry in Hawaii and in 14 Southern states, causing more than $2 billion in annual damage. As you can see, Mr. President, the list of problems is long and the time to address the issue of invasive species is now, before even more serious problems crop up.
With 73 percent of land in the continental U.S. held privately, our Federal lands will not be adequately protected without public-private partnerships. My bill requires coordination between the National Invasive Species Council, the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state invasive species councils and plans. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to promote the development of voluntary state assessments to establish inventories and priorities for controlling invasive species. This is a critical step in establishing an invasives program, but many states do not have the resources to carry out this critical assessment. The legislation also provides additional grants to public or private entities, or Indian tribes, to carry out in partnership with a Federal agency an eradication, containment, or management project on Federal land or adjacent land. Control grants are cost-shared with partners. The criteria for ranking control projects include shared priorities in state and Federal plans, the severity of the invasive species impact on a state, and whether the project fosters results through public-private partnerships. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the bill provides rapid response funds for states facing new outbreaks of invasive species, to eradicate serious new outbreaks. Rapid response funds are critical to states in order to combat newly identified invasives.
Mr. President, I was pleased to see that Federal departments would receive an overall increase for the seven invasive species general categories in the President's FY 2006 proposed budget. I appreciate the consideration that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have given this important issue. However, I was dismayed to see that the budget for the category of control of invasive species declined by $25 million from its FY 2005 enacted level. Control is an essential element in combating invasive species and requires additional funding.
Mr. President, I would like to acknowledge the fine work being accomplished by the National Park Service in establishing its Exotic Plant Management Teams. These Teams are designed to provide a highly trained, mobile strike force of plant management specialists to assist parks in the control of exotic plants. Approximately 2.6 million acres in the national parks are infected and 234 parks have invasive animals in need of management. To date, 17 Teams have been deployed throughout the country. I am grateful to the Pacific Island Team for its efforts to protect increasingly rare native communities in the Hawaiian Islands from invasion. Control of exotic species is one of the most significant land management issues facing national parks. Although I applaud the current efforts of the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service, a more coordinated and forceful attack on invasive species is needed. The attack must have robust funding and work in partnership with the states.
Mr. President, I am particularly pleased that the State of Hawaii is taking a leadership role in addressing its invasive species problems. Two years ago the Hawaii State Legislature established the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to coordinate the state's fight against animal and plant invaders, with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources in leading roles. The Hawaii State Legislature has directed approximately $8 million to the invasives campaign so far. The Hawaii Invasive Species Council and each county council are committed to a proactive approach to preserve the environmental heritage and economic security of our communities for generations to come. In addition, many public and private partnerships have been formed to protect our common natural resources. For example, the East Maui Watershed Partnership brings together multiple public and private landowners and the County of Maui to control invasive species and protect 100,000 acres of our prime watershed areas. This is just one example of many highly successful and dedicated partnerships in Hawaii working to preserve our invaluable resources.
The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species, a coalition of representatives from major environmental organizations, has extended its full support for this legislation. Its letter of support calls this bill "one of the best legislative proposals to date to deal with the growing threat that invasive species pose to our nation's ecological and economic health." The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, also supports the bill. The Department acknowledges that success in invasive species projects in Hawaii have come largely from the formation of strong partnerships between State, County and Federal agencies and private groups - exactly what my legislation endorses. My bill is also supported by the Conservation Council of Hawaii, the National Wildlife Federation affiliate in Hawaii. I greatly appreciate these endorsements.
As Federal efforts to combat the growing tide of invasive species increase, some landowners and private property advocates are concerned that increased efforts to combat invasives and support native plants and animals could lead to the next big government invasion of private lands. Mr. President, let me assure you this is not a property rights issue. Any action taken by governments or nonprofits through this bill can occur only with the participation and willingness of the property owner.
Mr. President, there are increasingly severe problems and economic burdens associated with invasive species in our nation that are borne at the state and local levels. If ever there was a time to commit to defending the security of our domestic resources for the future, it is now. My legislation provides the support necessary for agencies, organizations, and individuals to implement cooperative projects to address new threats and long-standing invasive species problems. This is an issue that must be confronted.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that text of the bill be printed in the RECORD, as well as the letters of support from Hawaii and national groups, and urge my colleagues to support my legislation.
