Overview
The Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force was established by the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (reauthorized in 1996 with the passage of the National Invasive Species Act) as a multi-agency body dedicated to preventing and controlling ANS (also known as aquatic , or AIS). On November 6-7, 2024, the ANS Task Force held a virtual public meeting, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The following is an executive summary of the meeting. Additional details about the meeting, including the agenda and detailed meeting minutes can be found at: https://www.fws.gov/program/aquatic-nuisance-species-task-force/meetings.
Attendance
A full list of attendees is recorded in the detailed meeting minutes. In addition to members below, representatives from each of the 6 regional panels were in attendance.
Federal:
- Bureau of LandManagement
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Department of State
- Environmental Protection Agency
- National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration
- U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S Department of Agriculture
- U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency
- U.S. Fish andWildlife
- U.S. ForestService
- U.S. GeologicalSurvey
Ex-officio:
- Great Lakes Commission
- Lake Champlain Basin Program
- Chesapeake Bay Program
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
- Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
- Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resources Association
- Native American Fish and Wildlife Society
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Meeting Agenda Highlights
Update Reports:
- USGS NAS Database: New Species Occurrences
- Early Detection Rapid Response Framework Implementation
- National AIS Outreach Summit
- Invasive soft coral issue in the Pacific and Caribbean
- VIDA Intergovernmental Response Framework
Discussion Topics:
- Organism in Trade Update: Moss Ball Response
- Recent Species Detections in California
- Combined Plan Decision Making Guidance
- Ruffe Plan Archival
- Marine Biosecurity
- Ex-Officio Roundtable
Decisional Items:
- The ANS Task Force approved the Delaware State ANS Management Plan.
- The ANS Task Force approved the draft New Zealand Mud Snail Management Plan to be posted in the Federal Register for public comment.
- The ANS Task Force conditionally approved the recommendations from the Joint Invasive Species Advisory Committee / ANS Task Force Early Detection Rapid Response Framework Implementation Work Group, pending inclusion of comments from ANS Task Force members.
Action Items
- The Early Detection Rapid Response Subcommittee Chair will distribute the Rapid Response Template to ANS Task Force members and regional panels for comment.
- The Outreach Subcommittee will develop guidance on best practices for usage of inclusive language within invasive species management. The Subcommittee will report on progress at the next meeting.
- ANS Task Force members and Regional Panels should submit any additional input into the FWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation program’s draft strategic plan using fisheries@fws.gov.
- The Executive Secretary will work with Moss Ball After Action Report leads to complete a summary of the comprehensive report and distribute it for ANS Task Force Review.
- The Rapid Response Fund Working Group will reconvene to consider modifications to streamline the review process more efficiently, particularly for proposals that address national priorities or have a strong sense of urgency.
- The Executive Secretary will schedule a regional panel principal meeting to discuss the Northeast panel recommendation on multi-state coordination and potential next steps for the Ruffe Management Plan.
- The Control Subcommittee will distribute the Combined Plan Decision Making Guidance to the ANS Task Force and Regional Panels for review.
Regional Panel Recommendations (abridged)
Western Regional Panel
The Western Regional Panel recommends efforts be pursued that lead to the prohibition of Marimo moss ball (Aegagropila linnaei) into the United States. The importation of contaminated Marimo moss balls into the United States may be directly linked to the potential introduction and spread of quagga and zebra mussels. Despite federal inspection, novel importation detection tools, phytosanitary requirements, and awareness among businesses, Marimo moss ball shipments contaminated with dreissenids continue to be available for purchase in the United States. Marimo moss balls represent a unique example of non-agricultural algae that are carriers of an injurious species. A federal prohibition on the importation of the Marimo moss ball would protect aquatic environments and minimize the transfer of injurious wildlife and other harmful organisms.
Response: Zebra mussels are federally regulated as injurious wildlife by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife under Title 18 of the Lacey Act. (which prohibits importation into the United States and shipment between the continental United States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United States). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife does not have the authority to list Marimo moss balls as injurious, even though they serve as a vector for mussels and other hitchhikers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) does not have the authority to restrict the plant from being imported because of non-plant species hitchhiking on that plant. This link describes moss ball import requirements: https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/acir-document-detail?rowId=a0j3d000000YIa4AAG&Document_Type=Commodity%20Import%20Requirements. APHIS does enforce prohibitions that other agencies or departments have published. APHIS will continue to work with other agencies and departments to seek opportunities to advance this recommendation.
Northeast Panel
The Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel request all regional panels to identify areas where multi-state coordination would facilitate an AIS task (control, early detection rapid response, management, education/outreach). With possible project coordination tasks identified, the ANS Task Force could then identify and work closely with other governmental agencies such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service, and National Park Service, to assist with coordination of large and encompassing AIS projects in the regional panel areas that span multiple state jurisdictions.
Response: The ANS Task Force agrees that AIS management across state boundaries can be complex. However, we have successful models of regional coordination that can help guide future work including management of invasive carp, zebra quagga mussels, and hydrilla. More recently, the pilot projects under the EDRR Framework are another example of collaboration federal and state management authorities to advance regional priorities. Following the November 2024 meeting, the Executive Secretary will arrange a meeting with the regional panel principals to identify areas or projects that may benefit from multi-state coordination and identify the key management authorities and roles that would best serve these efforts.
Northeast Panel and Western Regional Panel
The Regional Panels recommend increased support for the regional panels that recognizes inflation value would foster increased collaborative projects, communication, and advancements in achieving AIS management goals established and identified in the ANSTF Strategic Plan. The current funding for each panel is authorized at $50,000. In recognition that the authorizing legislation that established the panels was passed in 1990, the realized panel funding of $50,000 would be valued at $121,792 in today’s dollars. Panels are named for a large portion of the ANS Task Force Strategic Plan’s accomplishments and responsible for the regional coordination. Panel activities such as attending ANSTF meetings, conducting panel meetings and other panel activities are hindered by the current funding amount. To better support the collaborative work of each panel, the panels requests respectfully that additional funds be identified and secured, or other mechanisms be identified so that panels can request additional grants and funding sources to allow them to be fully operational at levels reasonable and responsive to inflation using an index such as the US Bureau of Labor statistics.
Response: The ANSTF acknowledges the recommendation’s point that the current funding levels are not commensurate with the work required of Regional Panels. To address the panel recommendation, the ANSTF Co-chairs believe this issue needs to be handled from an authorization, appropriation, and President’s budget perspectives. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently under a Continuing Resolution, but will continue to work through President’s budget process to address the Administration’s highest priority work identified for ANS. The regional panels are also encouraged to continue to raise awareness of their work, including successes and barriers to implementing regional priorities to those that can help identify opportunities for additional funding.
For More Information
Contact: Susan Pasko - Executive Secretary, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
