National
Management Plan: An Action Plan for the Nation - Early Detection
and Rapid Response
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Table of Contents --> An Action
Plan for the Nation - Early Detection and Rapid Response
[Executive
Summary] | [Introduction] | [Survey of Federal Roles & Responsibilities]
| [An Action Plan for the Nation]
| [Conclusion] | [Appendices]
Action Plan:
Leadership
| Prevention | Detection | Control
| Restoration |
International | Research
| Info Management | Education
Even the best prevention efforts
cannot stop all introductions. Early detection of incipient invasions
and quick coordinated responses are needed to eradicate or contain
invasive species before they become to widespread and control
becomes technically and/or financially impossible. Populations
that are not addressed early may require costly ongoing control
efforts. Spotted knapweed was introduced to Montana in the 1920s,
and by 1988, had infested more than 4.7 million acres. The economic
impact is approximately $42 million annually (Westbrooks 1998).
Although early detection and
rapid response are important elements of invasive species management,
currently there is no comprehensive national system for detecting,
responding to, and monitoring incipient invasions. The approach
used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
may offer a useful model of a decentralized system that could
be applied to incipient invasions. However, inadequate planning
and technologies, jurisdictional issues, insufficient resources
and information currently hamper early detection and rapid response
efforts in many locations. Key elements needed in an early detection
and rapid response system include: 1) access to up-to-date reliable
scientific and management information; 2) facilitate rapid and
accurate species identification; 3) establish a standard procedure
for rapid risk assessment; 4) provide new and enhanced mechanisms
for coordinating the efforts of Federal, State and local agencies,
tribal governments, and private entities; and 5) provide adequate
technical assistance (e.g., quarantine, monitoring, information
sharing, research and development, and technology transfer) and
rapid access to stable funding for emergency response efforts,
including funding for accelerated research of invasive species
biology, survey methods, and eradication options. The system's
success will depend in part on public participation in efforts
to report and respond to invasions.
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Early
Detection
Actions Planned
- The Council will
improve detection and identification of introduced invasive species,
recognizing the need for jurisdictional coordination, by taking
the following steps:
a. By January 2002, USDA, Commerce,
and Interior, and the Smithsonian Institution (SI), and the National
Science Foundation (NSF), in consultation with other contributors
to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) and utilizing
existing inventories and directories (e.g., Taxonomic Resources
and Expertise Directory), will compile a list of existing taxonomic
experts in the United States and other countries. Contact information
for sources of taxonomic expertise will concentrate on taxa where
the need for identification is greatest, be distributed widely,
and posted on the Council's Web site. The list will also identify
current gaps in taxonomic expertise.
b. By January 2003, USDA, in
consultation with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, NOAA,
CDC, the U.S. Public Health Service, appropriate scientific societies,
and others will initiate a program for the development of new
methods of detection for specific pathogens and parasites that
may affect human, animal, or plant health. An enhancement of
current competitive grants programs will be considered as a component
of this program.
c. By January 2003,USDA, Interior,
Commerce, and EPA will institute systematic monitoring surveys
of locations where introductions of invasive species are most
likely to occur (e.g., ports, airports, railroads, highway rights-of-way,
trails, utility rights-of-way, logging and construction sites).
In addition, by January 2002, highly vulnerable sites that may
warrant more intensive and frequent monitoring than other sites
will be identified. The surveys will be developed in cooperation
with Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies, taking advantage
of the existing network of plant and animal diagnostic clinics,
reporting networks such as the National Agricultural Pest Information
System (NAPIS) and the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS),
the extension service within the Cooperative State Research Education
and Extension Service (CSREES), FICMNEW, ANSTF, and other working
groups.
d. By January 2004, United States
Geological Survey (USGS) and USDA will develop a more "user-friendly"
means to help identify species and report the occurrence of invasive
species and provide information about species and invasions to
Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies. This initiative will
be developed in consultation with the Council staff, SI, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, USDA and State agencies, and will
be made available at the Council's Web site and through publications.
Mapping of a limited number of high-priority invasive species
will be considered as a component of public-private partnerships
for local involvement, including affected industries.
e. By December 2001, USDA will
develop an early detection module available on the World Wide
Web within the PLANTS database which provides information on
invasive and noxious plants. The module will allow users to check
the national, state and county distribution maps and submit new
records. This information will be validated and included as appropriate
as part of the PLANTS database. Future development will continue
to be done in consultation with Federal and State agencies, Council
staff, and public users.
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Rapid
Response
Actions Planned
- Starting in January
2001, Interior (especially USGS/Biological Resources Division)
and USDA, in cooperation with the NSF and SI, will expand regional
networks of invasive species databases [e.g., the Inter-American
Biodiversity Information Network, (IABIN)] and produce associated
database products, to cooperate with the Global Invasive Species
Programme (GISP) and other partners to establish a global invasive
species surveillance and rapid response system.
- By July 2003, the
Council in coordination with other Federal, State, local, and
tribal agencies, will develop a program for coordinated rapid
response to incipient invasions of both natural and agricultural
areas and pursue increases in discretionary spending to support
this program. Actions include:
a. Establishment of interagency
invasive species "rapid response" teams, that include
management and scientific expertise. Teams will focus on taxonomic,
ecosystem, and regional priorities, and coordinate with local
and State governmental and non-governmental efforts, including
standing and ad-hoc State invasive species councils.
b. Developing and testing methods
to determine which rapid response measures are most appropriate
for a situation.
c. The Council will review and
propose revisions of policies and procedures (i.e., advance approval
for quarantine actions, pesticide applications, and other specific
control techniques, and interagency agreements that address jurisdictional
and budget issues) concerning compliance with Federal (e.g.,
Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered
Species Act) and non-federal regulations that apply to invasive
species response actions. The proposed revisions will be made
available for public comment and will take into account local
and State requirements.
d. Preparing a guide to assist
rapid response teams and others that will incorporate the methodology
developed for response measures and guidance on regulatory compliance
and jurisdictional and budget issues.
- Within FY 2003 budget
development, the Council, in consultation with the States, will
develop and recommend to the President draft legislation for
rapid responses to incipient invasions, including the possibility
of permanent funding for rapid response efforts as well as matching
grants to States in order to encourage partnerships. The recommended
legislation will augment existing rapid response mechanisms.
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