Federal Efforts to Control Invasive Plant and Animal Species
Updated January 11, 2017
Federal Efforts to Control Invasive Plant and Animal Species
An “invasive” species (also known as an alien, exotic,
which are multiplying in south Florida, becoming a top
injurious, introduced or naturalized, non-native,
carnivore, and killing large numbers of native species of
nonindigenous, nuisance, or noxious species) refers to an
reptiles, birds, and mammals. Introductions also include
animal or plant that is introduced into an environment
various human parasites and diseases.
where it is not native. Of particular concern are non-native
animal and plant species that have caused or seem likely to
cause substantial economic or ecological harm. However,
Pathways for Invasive Species Introductions
not all non-native species are invasive or harmful.
Transportation Corridors such as railroads, rivers, and
highways that may unintentionally spread invasive species
The introduction of invasive species to the United States
from around the globe—whether deliberate or
Intentional Introductions such as non-native landscaping
unintentional—can pose threats to native animal and plant
plants or fish species for use by aquaculture facilities, as well
communities and may result in extinctions of native
as other deliberate releases for propagation in the wild
species, ecosystem disruptions as native and non-native
(such as tamarisk to control erosion along river banks)
species compete for limited resources, reduced biodiversity,
Intentional Importation of Non-Native Pets that may
and altered terrestrial or aquatic habitats. Invasive species
escape or are released into local lakes, streams, or forests
may also introduce new pests and diseases. An estimated
Basic Control Methods for Invasive Species
50,000 non-native invasive animal and plant species have
been introduced to the United States, resulting in economic
Preventing Dispersal After Entry by taking steps early to
costs estimated at more than $100 billion annually.
limit the spread of an invasive species that has begun to
escape confinement by removing the pests’ sources of food,
Various invasive species have had severe economic impacts
water, and shelter or blocking their access into buildings or
on U.S. industries and the natural environment. Damage
plants to prevent population growth
can span an enormous range of effects, such as power
Controls Designed for Confined Spaces such as using
outages; loss of farmland property value; contamination of
lethal substances to target pests in confined areas or to
grain; spread of human and other diseases; increased
prevent them from crossing a geographic bottleneck
operating costs; loss of irrigation water; collapse of
Cultural Controls such as agricultural production practices
buildings; competition with native plants; loss of sport,
that modify a pest’s environment or habitat to curtail its
game, or endangered species; and ecosystem disturbance.
spread by reducing its ability to survive, disperse, establish,
or reproduce (examples include crop rotation,
Some invasive plants have been notorious for years for
intercropping, managed application of water or fertilizer,
causing economic and ecological damage. For example,
improved sanitation and hygiene, timed plantings and
leafy spurge is lowering the forage value of western grazing
harvests, purchasing of certified plants, and other practices)
land and reducing overall land values. Others include
kudzu, melaleuca, cordgrass, tamarisk, purple loosestrife,
Mechanical and Physical Controls such as mowing and
spotted knapweed, and Russian thistle. Their damage
use of heavy machinery (harvesters, shredders), traps, or
includes lowering water tables, poisoning livestock,
mulches/barriers to manage weeds; and manual controls
decreasing crop yields, and increasing pest control costs.
(hand-pul ing weeds, physical removal of a plant or animal)
Baits and Attractants to attract individuals of a target
Invasive invertebrates are also well known and include
species toward a potential source of food or mates, where
gypsy moths, Japanese beetles, Asian longhorn beetles,
the target species can be trapped, kil ed, or studied
zebra and quagga mussels, Asian tiger mosquitoes, fire
Biological Control Organism to compete with, prey on,
ants, and Africanized honey bees, among others. An
parasitize, or cause disease in a targeted pest species
example of a damaging non-native insect species is the light
Chemical Control Agents such as pesticides and other
brown apple moth, a native pest of Australia, which has
manufactured (conventional) controls as well as natural
been detected in California and is causing damage to a wide
(biological) sources and biopesticides derived from natural
range of plant species and commercial fruit and vegetable
materials, animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals
crops. Zebra and quagga mussels from Eastern Europe are
clogging intakes for urban water supplies and nuclear
Site Removal of an area where the invasive species lives
power plants in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi basin.
Bounties and Commercial Exploitation, where someone
is paid to catch and kil the target species
Introduced vertebrate pests—including walking catfish,
Use of Other Species for Detection such as training dogs
lake trout, cane toads, monk parakeets, starlings, bighorn
to detect a target species at high-risk entry points (airports,
sheep, nutria, and rats—can also have serious economic and
cargo terminals, dockyards)
ecological impacts. An example includes Burmese pythons,
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Federal Efforts to Control Invasive Plant and Animal Species
Table 1. Estimated Funding for Invasive Species Activities, FY2016, Enacted ($1000)
DHS
NOAA
USACE
DOI
DOS
DOT
EPA
USDA
Total (%)
776,300
8
31,850
11,184
565
810
57,000
100,064
977,781
Prevention
(42%)
Early Detect./Rapid
0
289
15,254
15,604
772
0
—
277,572
309,491
Resp.
(13%)
0
126
61,066
46,643
12,002
0
—
526,498
646,335
Control/Management
(28%)
0
925
6,029
19,970
2,194
1,585
110
237,692
268,505
Research
(11%)
0
54
18,638
4,332
0
0
0
25,145
48,169
Restoration
(2%)
0
1,102
7,334
613
219
0
—
78,427
87,695
Educ./Public Awareness
(4%)
0
5
2,377
673
2,021
40
0
2,926
8,042
Leadership/International
(<1%)
776,300
2,509
142,548 99,019
17,773
2,435 57,110
1,248,324
2,346,018
Total
33%
<1%
6%
4%
1%
<1%
2%
53%
100%
%Federal Spending
Source: NISC, “Invasive Species Interagency Crosscut Budget,” December 2016, https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/
nisc_2016_crosscut_budget_summary.pdf. Does not include USAID (to be determined).
Notes: DHS (U.S. Department of Homeland Security); NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration); USACE (U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers); DOI (U.S. Department of the Interior); DOS (U.S. Department of State); DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation); USAID
(U.S. Agency for International Development); USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). These data are self-reported by the federal agencies
engaged in these activities and are not independently compiled; also the criteria used by agencies to compile these data are unclear and may be
inconsistent across different agencies.
Control of invasive species involves eradication where
directly address invasive non-native species control or
possible and reduction to manageable or tolerable levels
prevention, have effects that may limit introductions.
where eradication is not possible. Key to this effort is early
detection and rapid response in order to eradicate invasive
Control of invasive species is not often the major purpose
populations before they become established. Several
of the law, and agencies have little authority to eradicate
methods may be used to address an unwanted pest
invasives, except where they occur on federally managed
population and cover a range of control methods (see text
lands, thus undermining the effectiveness of these
box). To apply any of these strategies effectively, however,
programs. In general, laws addressing threats to
considerable knowledge of the target species’ behavior,
agriculture—an industry for which the risks from invasive
biochemistry, dietary preferences, diseases, or other aspects
species are well established—tend to be more developed
of its biology is usually essential.
than laws protecting other industries or ecosystems.
Comprehensive legislation on the treatment of invasive
In the United States, numerous federal and interagency
species has never been enacted, and no single law directs
efforts share responsibilities regarding invasive species.
coordination among federal agencies. No laws focus on the
Among the federal agencies involved are the Departments
broad problems of invasive species—their interception,
of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security,
prevention, and control across a variety of industries and
Interior, and Transportation, as well as the Environmental
habitats. Instead, the current legal framework is largely
Protection Agency and the Executive Office of the
governed by a patchwork of laws, regulations, policies, and
President. Of these, three departments—Agriculture,
programs. Some laws are tailored to individual species or
Commerce, and Interior—play a major role by co-chairing
narrowly focused on what is affected by the species, such as
the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). Created by
agricultural production or certain aquatic or terrestrial
Executive Order 13112 in 1999, NISC provides high-level
ecosystems. Other laws have a broader intended purpose
interdepartmental coordination of federal invasive species
and may only peripherally address invasive species, such as
actions and works with other federal and nonfederal groups
certain environmental, resource management, and species
to address invasive species issues at the national level.
or wildlife protection laws. Some laws, though they do not
In FY2016, the U.S. government spent an estimated $2.3
billion across a range of federal agencies and activities in an
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link to page 2 Federal Efforts to Control Invasive Plant and Animal Species
effort to prevent, control, and eradicate invasive species
For details, see CRS Report R44049, Invasive Species:
domestically (Table 1). Activities at the Department of
Issues in Brief; CRS Report R44011, Invasive Species:
Agriculture accounted for the bulk of available federal
Control Options and Issues for Congress; and CRS Report
funding, nearly $1.2 billion (53% of total available funds).
R43258, Invasive Species: Major Laws and the Role of
Activities at the Department of Homeland Security,
Selected Federal Agencies.
comprised of mostly border protection and security
activities, accounted for about $0.8 billion (33% of total
Renée Johnson, Specialist in Agricultural Policy
funding). The remainder of federal funding, about $0.3
R. Eliot Crafton, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
billion (about 14% of total funding), covers activities across
a range of agencies at the Departments of Interior,
IF10217
Commerce, and Defense, and other independent agencies.
Disclaimer
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