Developing a Process for Listing Injurious Wildlife Species
This project will develop a transparent process for prioritizing species for listing as injurious, likely to cause damage or harm, under the Lacey Act. Building upon previously developed "horizon scan" and "watchlist" products, this process will identify potentially invasive species that present the greatest risk to lands, waters, and other assets managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is working to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species into and within the United States. DOI has the authority to prevent the importation of harmful nonnative species and has invested in multiple analyses to identify nonnative species that pose a risk to the U.S. This project will create a standardized process to select wildlife species for consideration for injurious species listing evaluations, which would prevent or reduce the opportunity for invasive species to be introduced via the organisms in trade pathway. This project is part of a coordinated, multi-bureau series of projects focused on preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species in the United States.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working jointly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) using a structured decision-making process to protect priority DOI assets from the threat of invasive species. This decision-making process will identify and prioritize species on horizon scans and watch lists that present the greatest risk to DOI lands, waters, and other assets. The FWS will then evaluate the identified species and address them as required by laws and conservation plans.
Preventing invasions and rapidly responding to initial introductions is far more time and cost-efficient than managing established invasive populations. The proposal links horizon scanning work being accomplished under DOI's National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework Keystone Initiative with injurious wildlife listing, one of DOI's most robust and permanent invasive species prevention tools. This project will allow DOI to proactively protect DOI assets from high-risk invasions and "get ahead of the invasion curve" by selecting the most impactful species to assess initially for injurious wildlife rule making. Our approach is based on principles of decision science and will account for important sources of uncertainty. Examples of sources of uncertainty include the population response of invasive species to potential management actions or how invasive species would impact protected resources such as threatened and endangered species.
Overall, this project aims to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species in the U.S. and protect natural, cultural, and infrastructural assets threatened by future establishment of invasive species. The standardized process developed through this project will be used for current and future prioritization efforts, providing a roadmap for future work.
Related Information
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
WARC conducts relevant and objective research, develops new approaches and technologies, and disseminates scientific information needed to understand, manage, conserve, and restore wetlands and other aquatic and coastal ecosystems and their associated plant and animal communities throughout the nation and the world.
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program
The Biological Threats Research Program delivers science to protect public safety, property, and ecosystems from invasive plants and animals and infectious fish and wildlife diseases that pose significant ecologic and economic threats to the resources of the United States.
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Siren: The National Early Detection and Rapid Response Information System
Siren: the National Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System is an online resource for invasive species information sharing and collaboration that serves as the information hub of the National EDRR Framework.
This project will develop a transparent process for prioritizing species for listing as injurious, likely to cause damage or harm, under the Lacey Act. Building upon previously developed "horizon scan" and "watchlist" products, this process will identify potentially invasive species that present the greatest risk to lands, waters, and other assets managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is working to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species into and within the United States. DOI has the authority to prevent the importation of harmful nonnative species and has invested in multiple analyses to identify nonnative species that pose a risk to the U.S. This project will create a standardized process to select wildlife species for consideration for injurious species listing evaluations, which would prevent or reduce the opportunity for invasive species to be introduced via the organisms in trade pathway. This project is part of a coordinated, multi-bureau series of projects focused on preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species in the United States.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working jointly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) using a structured decision-making process to protect priority DOI assets from the threat of invasive species. This decision-making process will identify and prioritize species on horizon scans and watch lists that present the greatest risk to DOI lands, waters, and other assets. The FWS will then evaluate the identified species and address them as required by laws and conservation plans.
Preventing invasions and rapidly responding to initial introductions is far more time and cost-efficient than managing established invasive populations. The proposal links horizon scanning work being accomplished under DOI's National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework Keystone Initiative with injurious wildlife listing, one of DOI's most robust and permanent invasive species prevention tools. This project will allow DOI to proactively protect DOI assets from high-risk invasions and "get ahead of the invasion curve" by selecting the most impactful species to assess initially for injurious wildlife rule making. Our approach is based on principles of decision science and will account for important sources of uncertainty. Examples of sources of uncertainty include the population response of invasive species to potential management actions or how invasive species would impact protected resources such as threatened and endangered species.
Overall, this project aims to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species in the U.S. and protect natural, cultural, and infrastructural assets threatened by future establishment of invasive species. The standardized process developed through this project will be used for current and future prioritization efforts, providing a roadmap for future work.
Related Information
-
-
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
WARC conducts relevant and objective research, develops new approaches and technologies, and disseminates scientific information needed to understand, manage, conserve, and restore wetlands and other aquatic and coastal ecosystems and their associated plant and animal communities throughout the nation and the world.
-
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program
The Biological Threats Research Program delivers science to protect public safety, property, and ecosystems from invasive plants and animals and infectious fish and wildlife diseases that pose significant ecologic and economic threats to the resources of the United States.
-
Siren: The National Early Detection and Rapid Response Information System
Siren: the National Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System is an online resource for invasive species information sharing and collaboration that serves as the information hub of the National EDRR Framework.