Invasive species threaten our state’s health, economy, and environment.

• Health: In 1991, a South American strain of the human cholera bacteria Vibrio cholerae O1 was found in ships arriving from South America in the port of Mobile, Alabama. This cholera strain was later found in Mobile Bay seafood, prompting a public health advisory to avoid handling or eating raw seafood (U.S. Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force). This strain killed 9,642 people in Latin America from 1991-1994. Source: Center for Disease Control
  
  West Nile Virus, first documented in the United States in 1999, has caused 149 human cases of severe disease and 18 deaths. West Nile Virus has been found in 27 states and is spreading through mosquitoes and migratory birds. Source: Center for Disease Control

• Economy: The cost of invasive species to the national economy has been estimated as high as $137 billion per year, and it is increasing. Invasives hurt the economy by causing losses in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, clogging waterways, and fueling fires. Source: The Nature Conservancy

• Environment: Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 46 percent of the country’s endangered and threatened native species. Source: Natural Resources Defense Council

Current management efforts lack coordination and focus.

• Management of invasive species falls under a myriad of statutes and regulations administered by a variety of agencies on the international, federal, state, and local levels.
• Laws were often passed to address a specific crisis (such as zebra mussels) and pathways of introduction of the species (such as ballast water).
• Policy studies have found that, as a result, “laws leave both obvious and subtle gaps in the regulation of [invasive species]” and “overlaps and gaps in this array of statutes often leave the Agency unsure of which authority to apply in any give case.”(1)
• States need a way to identify species that are potential future threats – species that have already invaded neighboring states, for example. A state council can coordinate this effort.

We need a coordinated strategic approach. A state Invasive Species Council will coordinate and consolidate management efforts to meet the invasive species challenge.

• The Council will consist of representatives from each agency whose activities affect invasive species management.
• The Council will create an invasive species coordination plan that will provide a single strategy to address all types of invasive species, all causes of introduction and spread of these species, and all harms to our economy, health, and environment.

We need a comprehensive statute for invasive species.

The legislation provides the Department of Natural Resources (or equivalent agency) with a strong mandate for the establishment of a comprehensive administrative program that includes strategic planning, educational programs, and regional coordination. It also provides specific and environmentally protective statutory criteria for categorizing species.