[APWG] ARTICLE: Military Bases & Invasives

[Olivia Kwong]

The Washington Post article is followed by the NWF press release (longer
than the article).

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Report Details Wildlife Invasions on Bases

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 18, 2005; 9:42 AM

WASHINGTON -- Military installations across the country are battling wild
hogs, snakes and other trouble-making species, says a report being issued
Tuesday by the National Wildlife Federation.

"Terrorists or natural disasters jump to mind" when one pictures threats
to military readiness and homeland security, said Heidi Hirsh, natural
resources specialist for the U.S. Marine Corps., which funded the report
on behalf of the Defense Department. "But few people realize that we also
face the threat of non-human invaders."

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, looked
at a dozen case studies to provide a sample of the problem. Among the
findings:

Guam, home to an Air Force base and Navy base, is infested with more than
two million brown tree snakes, or 12,000 per square mile. The critters
climb wires leading to transformers, creating shorts that lead to a
blackout at least once a week. The snakes themselves sometimes die from
the shock, but not always.

The brown tree snakes, native to the South Pacific and Australia, are
thought to have arrived in Guam aboard a cargo ship after World War II. In
addition to causing blackouts, they bite hundreds of residents a year
(non-fatally), and have caused the extinction of nine of the island's 12
native bird species, according to the federation.

Avon Park Air Force Range, a bombing and gunnery range in central Florida,
battles wild hogs that descended from European wild boars. The hogs dig up
soil along the runways, exposing insects, which draw large birds such as
sandhill cranes. The presence of the birds and hogs causes the military to
curtail flights to protect safety and equipment, according to the
military.

Blister-causing invasive plants pose a health risk for soldiers at Fort
McCoy in western Wisconsin. The base is home to 30 to 50 exotic plant
species, including leafy spurge and wild parsnip. Leafy spurge exudes a
milky latex that causes blisters, dermatitis and even blindness if rubbed
into the eyes. Wild parsnip can cause severe blistering and skin
discoloration.

The collaboration between the National Wildlife Federation and the
military was not exactly a natural fit. The two have battled over the
Pentagon's request to be exempted from setting aside critical habitat for
the recovery of endangered species.

Although Congress granted the request, the Pentagon invited environmental
groups to see how it was protecting endangered species. From subsequent
site visits, the federation and Pentagon started to discuss the problem of
invasive species, and that ultimately led to the collaboration. The
military paid $20,000 to commission the report.

Nationwide, the Defense Department manages 25 million acres with 350
species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Invasive species are the
second-leading cause of population decline for threatened and endangered
wildlife, behind habitat destruction, according to Corry Westbrook, the
federation's legislative representative in Washington.

Westbrook conceded that native plants and animals also cause problems for
the military.

"But there is no natural control for the non-natives," she said. "They are
exploding in numbers, taking over huge swaths, because there are no
natural predators."

Hirsh, the Marine Corps. naturalist, called invasive species a "silent
invasion" moving across the country.

"Usually it's too late by the time they're noticed," she said. "In many
cases, we don't have the technology to remove them."

The report calls on military installations to come up with invasive
species management plans, with a focus on prevention, rapid response,
identification and a plan of attack.

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NWF News Release


America's Military Installations Threatened By Invasive Species; Exotic
Plants and Animals Impair Military Operations and Put America's Natural
Heritage in Danger

October 18, 2005 — By National Wildlife Federation

Washington — Invasive species are infiltrating military lands across the
country, severely impacting the health and welfare of U.S. military
forces, citizens and ecosystems, according to a new National Wildlife
Federation (NWF) report.

"Terrorists or natural disasters jump to mind when picturing threats to
military readiness and homeland security," says Heidi Hirsh, Natural
Resource Specialist at the U.S. Marine Headquarters in Washington, DC.
"But few people realize that we also face the threat of nonhuman invaders.
Invasive species are silently becoming entrenched in our ecosystems and
pose a real threat to military facilities and readiness across the
country."

"Invasive species are putting America's natural heritage in danger," says
Corry Westbrook, legislative representative for Wildlife Conservation at
the National Wildlife Federation. "They are taking hold and pushing out
native plants and wildlife. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to
stop invasive species from destroying America's wildlife legacy."

Under Siege: Invasive Species on Military Lands reports that invasive
species are a widespread and growing problem for military instillations
throughout the country. From exotic plants overrunning training lands at
Camp Pendleton in California to wild boars blocking runways at Avon Park
in Florida, the report reveals how invasive species are more than just a
nuisance on military installations.

"Each of our military installations has a unique and important mission it
is expected to carry out," says Peter Boice, Conservation Team Leader,
Office of the Secretary of Defense. "Invasive species put unnecessary
roadblocks in the way of achieving this mission, putting undue strain on
America's defenses."

The report is the first comprehensive look at how invasive plants and
animals affect military operations. It was issued by the National Wildlife
Federation in cooperation with the Department of Defense. Through 12 case
studies, the report details the threats of invasive species on military
lands and how land managers are combating the problem at Marine Corps,
Army, Navy and Air Force installations across the country. The report also
serves as a call to action for the Defense Department, other federal
agencies, Congress, and state and local governments to work together to
develop solutions to this threat.

The Department of Defense is one of the largest landowners in the country,
managing more than 400 major installations that encompass 25 million acres
of land. The report illustrates how natural resources managers at military
installations are challenged not only to be responsible stewards of these
lands, but also to do so in a way that supports the mission of their
installation.

As Westbrook points out, "after loss of habitat, invasive species are the
greatest threat to the survival of native species. Military lands harbor
over 350 species protected by the Endangered Species Act. As a result,
installations across the country have the added duty of protecting
imperiled plants and wildlife."

"Our main goal is to provide troops with realistic training so they are
prepared for their missions," says Hirsh. "Controlling invasive species
helps us do this, and at the same time protects the valuable natural
resources that make America worth defending."

The report concludes that invasive species impair military operations in
four ways. They can:

1. Negate realistic conditions for training or testing operations and/or
directly limit training activities;

2. Require the diversion of funding from other natural resource or
operation priorities;

3. Act as one of the leading causes of habitat destruction and
biodiversity loss, which can further degrade and reduce available training
land; and

4. Pose a security risk and/or create potentially life-threatening
situations.

The reports states that invasive species harm installations in different
ways. For example, fast burning exotic plants can increase the frequency
and severity of fires. Tall invasive plants can block vision and
compromise security around sensitive military facilities. More commonly,
exotic plant species can render large areas of land required for training
useless. While many bases share the same problem, there is no
comprehensive invasive species management plan or consistent funding to
help develop shared solutions. According to the report, the outcome is
that some installations have had great success solving their invasive
species problems while others are struggling to get a handle on the
problem.

"While some bases have taken it upon themselves to create detailed
invasive species plans, many still deal with the problem in a reactive
manner," says Westbrook. "There is no conformity or consistency with
which they handle the problem."

Many installations are dealing with multiple invasive species, requiring
them to prioritize efforts, the report states. As a consequence,
infestations of weeds and other pests on a base go unchecked until
significant damage has already occurred.

"We realize that rapid response is perhaps the best way to curb invasive
species. We would like to do more," says Boice. "However, instead of
winning this battle, we are at best keeping the enemy at bay."

Managing invasive species after they have become established is both a
time intensive and costly venture. For example, at the Marine Corps Base
in Hawaii, it took $2.5 million over 20 years to remove 20 acres of
invasive mangroves from installation wetlands. Actions to prevent, detect,
and control invasive species also increase the burden on soldiers and
divert resources that could be used for other programs.

However, lack of resources has forced some installations to develop new
and creative solutions. For example, when the U.S. Air Force cracked down
on herbicide use in 1995, Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington faced the
task of finding new solutions to managing the more than 16 species of
invasive plants that covered the undeveloped areas of the 4500-acre base.
The answer they came up with: insects. Using insect controls have reduced
the weed population on the base by 30 percent and have resulted in a 50
percent reduction in herbicide use.

"We hope that by drawing attention to the problem and showing that success
is possible, this report will inspire installations, landowners, and state
and private organizations across the nation to develop their own invasive
species management solutions," says Westbrook.

The report includes a plan of action to turn back the tide on invasives:
First, prevention must be at the forefront of invasive species management
plans or policies. Unlike traditional pollutants, invasive species will
not dissipate when new species stop being introduced; so stopping
additional introductions is not enough. Existing populations must also be
controlled or eradicated.

Second, new management tools must address entire ecosystems, not just
individual species or pathways of introduction. In addition, it is vital
that the environmental impacts of treatment techniques be considered and
minimized to the greatest extent possible. Third, action must be taken on
several levels. Management plans, education and outreach, funding,
research, and sound policy at all levels of government are ways to address
the problem on multiple fronts.

"We are at a critical moment in this battle," says Hirsh. "There is still
time to turn the tide before the costs become insurmountable and the
problem escalates beyond control. We applaud Department of Defense and
military personnel for the work they have done so far. We will continue to
work closely with the Defense Department to find successful ways to combat
invasive species for the sake of America's people and wildlife."

The National Wildlife Federation is America's conservation organization
protecting wildlife for our children's future.

To read the full report and browse photos available for use in your
publication, visit www.nwf.org/news.