FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Invasive Species Policy

Original title: EXAMINING INVASIVE SPECIES POLICY

January 1, 2016

invasive species environmental policy federal oversight government spending wildlife management

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing examines the federal government's strategy for managing , which currently cause billions of dollars in annual damages and impact native ecosystems.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of the Interior

The agency manages invasive species programs and allocates federal funding for these efforts.

Native plant and animal populations

These populations face decline or extinction due to the presence of invasive species.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Subcommittee on the Interior held a hearing on December 1, 2015, to evaluate the federal government's effectiveness in managing and eradicating . The committee reviewed the role of the National Invasive Species Council and the economic and environmental impacts of the nearly 50,000 non-native species currently in the U.S.

Key Facts

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines an invasive species as an exotic species that causes or is likely to cause environmental, economic, or human health harm.
There are approximately 50,000 invasive species currently present in the United States.
The Department of the Interior estimates it spends $100 million annually on invasive species management.
The National Invasive Species Council was established by President Clinton in 1999.
The National Invasive Species Council is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce.
Invasive species are identified as a leading cause of population decline and extinction for native plants and animals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an invasive species?

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is an whose introduction into a non-native ecosystem causes or is likely to cause environmental, economic, or human health harm.

What is the role of the National Invasive Species Council?

The Council is tasked with coordinating the efforts of various federal agencies to address and eradicate .

Why It Matters

This hearing examines the federal government's strategy for managing , which currently cause billions of dollars in annual damages and impact native ecosystems.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Long-term Federal Coordination

The hearing highlights the ongoing reliance on a 1999 executive order to coordinate multi-agency responses to invasive species.

National Invasive Species Council

Connected Entities

personK. George Beck“Professor of Weed Science at Colorado State University”Map →

personScott J. Cameron“President of Reduce Risks from Invasive Species Coalition”Map →

organizationNational Invasive Species Council“Federal council created in 1999 to coordinate invasive species management”Map →

personJamie Reaser“Executive Director of the National Invasive Species Council”Map →

personCynthia M. Lummis“Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Interior”Map →

personAlan D. Steinman“Director of the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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