[APWG] SSI Action: Invasive Species Call To Action

[Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov]

Hi,

This is really important and needs your immediate attention. Please read
the message below from Phyllis Windle and if you agree to the call for
action, go to the web page to sign on in support of it.

thanks very much,

Jil

___________
Jil Swearingen
202-342-1443, 218
http://weedsgonewild.org

----- Forwarded by Jil Swearingen/NCR/NPS on 11/12/2003 10:03 AM -----
                                                                                                                                        
                      "SSI Mailbox"                                                                                                     
                      <SSI at ucsusa.org>         To:                                                                                      
                                               cc:       (bcc: Jil Swearingen/NCR/NPS)                                                  
                      11/07/2003 10:42         Subject:  SSI Action: Invasive Species Call To Action                                    
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Dear SSI Member,

Ten years ago, I directed a study on invasive species by the
Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) of the U.S. Congress.
This report, "Harmful Non-Indigenous Species in the United
States," was the first comprehensive look at invasive
species across taxonomic lines, economic sectors, and
government jurisdictions. It detailed the numbers, economic
costs, and environmental impacts of invasive species. The
report examined federal and state policies that affect
biological invasions and suggested policy solutions to stem
the introduction and spread of damaging organisms.

Invasion biology has progressed substantially in the past
decade. While there have been a few key policy gains,
overall, progress is woefully inadequate. Unfortunately the
nation's approach to invasive species remains as OTA
described it ten years ago: a poor match for the problems at
hand.

Now, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive
Species (NECIS) is marking the tenth anniversary of the OTA
report with a series of activities to draw attention to this
lack of progress -- and to affirmatively press for change. A
central piece of our effort is a Scientists' Call to Action.
We are asking U.S.-based experts in invasive species related
fields to join us in calling upon Congress and the President
to take six specific and practical steps right now. These
steps can significantly slow the introduction and spread of
invasive species and counteract the severe environmental,
economic, and other harm invasives cause. Because we are
approaching the holiday season, we are framing these actions
as gifts policymakers can give the American people.

Please Join Us!

The Call to Action on Invasive Species is below. Please
review it; and, if you agree with its content, consider
adding your name to the call.  In signing, you will join a
growing number of invasive species experts, including Ann
Bartuska, K. George Beck, Jim Carlton, Jerome Jackson, David
Lodge, Richard Mack, Hal Mooney, Stuart Pimm, Sarah
Reichard, Don C. Schmitz, Daniel Simberloff, and Scott S.
Smith. Details on how to sign-on are below.

Thank you for your time and help on this important effort.

Phyllis N. Windle, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist & Invasive Species Project Leader
Global Environment Program
Union of Concerned Scientists

****************************
** THE CALL TO ACTION

Ten years ago, the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S.
Congress detailed the destruction caused by invasive species
and recommended a number of solutions. Since then, the
damage has become even starker. Invasive species threaten
the productivity of the soils and waters upon which we - and
our economies - depend. They endanger the conservation gains
of the past century. And they imperil the native species
that make this country unique. In sum, the devastation
caused by non-native, invasive organisms is one of the most
serious and least-recognized tragedies of our time.

Because the federal government regulates the movement of
damaging organisms into the country and between U.S. states,
solutions to this problem require strong federal action.
Progress in the past ten years has been woefully inadequate.

Therefore we - the undersigned scientists, resource
managers, agricultural officials, and other experts - call
upon the U.S. Congress and the President to immediately take
action to drastically slow the introduction and spread of
invasive species and to counteract the severe environmental,
economic, and other harm these species cause. These actions
would be invaluable and long-lasting gifts to the nation.

Three Gifts Congress Should Give Immediately

We challenge the U.S. Congress to strengthen outmoded laws
and to take a comprehensive approach to protecting the
Nation's resources. Specifically, we ask that Congress:
* Immediately pass the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act
- to reauthorize one of our most important laws and to
broaden it in key ways.
* Quickly enact Executive Order 13112 on invasive species
into federal law - to ensure that new means for coordinating
government efforts have a permanent institutional home.
* Swiftly provide the funds for a program to detect newly-
arriving non-native species and to respond to them rapidly -
while populations are small and costs are low.

Three Gifts the President Should Give Right Now

We call on the President to ensure that federal agencies:
* Promptly undertake both a major research campaign to
better understand the impacts of invasive species and to
enhance knowledge needed for making critical policy
decisions; and also begin an extensive public awareness
effort to deter unauthorized or accidental releases of non-
native species.
* Immediately begin screening species for potential
invasiveness before they are imported.
* Rapidly negotiate strict North American standards to limit
pests arriving on shipments of plants.

Furthermore, we ask the Congress and the White House to
establish a new national center on biological invasions to
lead the United States in strengthening public and private
efforts at all levels. These measures, taken effectively and
with care, will not jeopardize essential international trade
nor the livelihoods and rights of responsible business and
property owners. Quite the opposite: these steps will
contribute to the prosperity of the nation and to the
conservation of its most valuable resources well into the
future.

*ORIGINAL SIGNERS
Ann Bartuska, K. George Beck, James Carlton, Jerome Jackson,
David Lodge, Richard Mack, Harold Mooney, Stuart Pimm, Sarah
Reichard, Don C. Schmitz, Daniel Simberloff, Scott S. Smith,
and Phyllis Windle

**ADD YOUR NAME
Scientists with any specialty related to invasive species or
biological diversity, as well as natural resource managers,
agricultural officials, and anyone else with significant
professional experience working on issues related to
invasive species or biological diversity is eligible to sign
on to the Call to Action.

You can add your name by visiting our online web form:
< http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/form/InvasiveSpecies.php >
By using this form you will be reducing the amount of data-
entry work that will be required of UCS staff, and thus
enable us to do more work on other aspects of this project.

Alternatively, you can add your name by providing us with
the following information and sending it to < ssi at ucsusa.org >
*******************************
First Name*:
Middle Name/Initial:
Last Name*:
Title:
Degree (PhD, MS, etc)*:
Organization:
Department:
City*:
State*:
Tagline:
(a description of your specific specialization, which will
appear on the Call To Action. Taglines should not be longer
than 10 words.)
*means required field
*******************************
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

*NECIS-the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species.
<
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/invasive_species/page.cfm?pageID=1276
 >

*NAISA-the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act
<
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/invasive_species/page.cfm?pageID=882
>

*Executive Order 13112
<
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/invasive_species/page.cfm?pageID=1277
 >

More About the Letter
<
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/invasive_species/page.cfm??pageID=1275
 >

FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
As this Call To Action specially mentions current and
potential legislation, a potential conflict may exist for
scientists employed by the federal government. Each page of
signatures will clearly note, "affiliations are for
identification purposes only". Such a caveat is often
included in similar statements and typically satisfies
lobbying restrictions for government employees. If you have
any questions about your agency's polices on such efforts,
we suggest that you contact your agency's human resources
department. All signers are welcome to join the Call to
Action by listing only their resident city, state, and
specialization.