# **US Department of Agriculture**

**Report to the Invasive Species Advisory Council**

# April 24, 2006

By Hilda Diaz-Soltero

# USDA Senior Invasive Species Coordinator

A. **[USDA Progress on ISAC recommendations from the October 2003
meeting]{.underline}**

1.  ISAC recommendation: **Increase efforts in education and public
    awareness**

    -   Provided updated USDA's exhibit on invasive species to the 2006
        National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week (NIWAW) activities.

    -   USDA NRCS and FS staff served as Chair and Co-chair for the
        planning and implementation of a successful Invasive Species
        Children's Fun Day at the US Botanic Garden as the kick-off
        event for the 7^th^ National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week.

    -   USDA agencies provided content for Species of the Month.

    -   Forest Service is planning a 2006 national conference on
        invasive species for employees and partners.

    -   Funded NISC's Director of Public Affairs, Anna (Cherry) Rinick,
        for 2 years out of USDA Invasive Species Coordination Program's
        budget (\$240K). Accomplishments:

        i.  Developed, discussed, and promoted general NISC brand and
            image.

        ii. Coordinated the creation of NISC templates and
            standards---samples, Microsoft word templates, visual style
            guide.

        iii. Drafted NISC website agreement that established independent
             web presence for NISC.

        iv. Created NISC stakeholder announcements format, established
            clearance policies with NISC members (particularly co-chair
            policy liaison press offices) and distribution for NISC to
            send out informational items.

        v.  Created General NISC fact sheets---NISC, NISC structure,
            ISAC, Success Stories.

        vi. Served as Federal Co-Chair of ISAC Communications, Education
            and Outreach (CEO) Committee.

        vii. Served on NIWAW 2005 and 2006 publicity committee.

        viii. Served as proposal reviewer for Outreach Grant side of
              NOAA Sea Grant program.

        ix. Served on Team Tamarisk meeting committee. Provided
            follow-up support to Team Tamarisk.

        x.  Provided support to Marina Operators Association for
            Snakehead Round-up events.

        xi. Created and staffed exhibit for BIO ERA conference on NISC.

        xii. Developed two freestanding exhibit banners for NISC.

        xiii. Coordinated requests from multiple national, regional and
              local news outlets by providing background information or
              arranging for interviews (McNeil Hour, CNN, and National
              Geographic).

        xiv. Created public affairs list serve for NISC member agencies
             public affairs contacts and met with NISC co-chair
             department's public affairs staffs.

        xv. Created email lists for stakeholder announcements of
            interested news and information outlets and individuals.

        xvi. Attended FACA training and provided FACA expertise to NISC
             staff.

        xvii. Served as alternate Delegated Federal Official during ISAC
              meetings.

        xviii. Assisted with "Strange Days" premiere work and impact
               campaign. Provided information to Strange Days personnel
               and briefed NISC member agencies

        xix. Represented NISC at Plant Conservation Alliance meeting and
             conference (Chicago, 2005).

        xx. Facilitated work of the ISAC definitions subcommittee.
            Drafted and cleared with policy liaisons a plan for use of
            definitions white paper.

        xxi. Chaired policy liaison meetings in absence of NISC
             Executive Director.

        xxii. Met with Maryland Invasive Species Council and offered
              guidance on drafting a management plan.

        xxiii. Assisted with Congressional briefing on relationship
               between invasive and endangered species.

        xxiv. Assisted on USDA Day at NIWAW two years.

        xxv. Coordinated publication of USDA Grants Book.

        xxvi. Served on committee to revise ANSTF website.

        xxvii. Attended Western Weed Communicators Conference (2005).

        xxviii. Attended roll-out session for "Strange Days Impact
                Campaign" at Sonora Desert Museum.

        xxix. Coordinated briefing for writer Alan Burdick with NISC
              members and provided him background information on the
              Federal government and Invasive Species.

        xxx. Made presentation about NISC at the 2005 National Plant
             Board Meeting.

        xxxi. Assisted in development of Road Map to Revise NISC plan.
              Served on Steering Committee for revision on NISC plan.
              Provided assistance to subcommittees on revision of NISC
              plan. Gathered feedback form agencies for revision of the
              section on communications.

        xxxii. Drafted NISC Award Program proposal.

        xxxiii. Drafted and cleared NISC media and outreach and website
                clearance guidelines.

        xxxiv. Drafted proposal in response to APHIS request for NISC
               assistance on Forest Pest issues. Coordinated Forest
               Health project.

        xxxv. Provided overall editorial and writing support to NISC.
              Provided input to documents, letters, and reports. Drafted
              talking points for staff, policy liaisons, and principals.

        xxxvi. Drafted and coordinated interagency agreement with USDA's
               Visual Information Center to have access to their Design
               Services.

        xxxvii. Represented NISC at FICMNEW meetings.

        xxxviii. Provided assistance to USDA Senior Invasive Species
                 Coordinator.

        xxxix. Assisted AAAS in Science Journalism Awards Program
               (radio) in 2004.

        xl. Created and implemented SPECIES OF THE MONTH PROGRAM to
            comply with ISAC's request. Arranged for student artist for
            first year.

        xli. Provided training on invasive species message and outreach
             opportunities to 200 people from across the U.S., from the
             private and public sectors, during NIWAW and to ISAC
             members.

        xlii. Provided consultation on communication, education, and
              outreach issues to NISC members and ISAC members.

        xliii. Reviewed USDA's Invasive Species permanent exhibit.

2.  ISAC recommendation: **Increase efforts in economic analysis to make
    the case for investments in invasive species efforts.**

    -   The Economic Research Service (ERS) is continuing the "Program
        of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management"
        (PREISM) initiated in FY 2003. PREISM supports economic research
        and the development of decision support tools that have direct
        implications for USDA policies and programs for protection from,
        control/management of, regulation concerning, or trade policy
        relating to invasive species. Program priorities are selected
        through extensive consultation with APHIS, OBPA and other
        agencies with responsibility for program management.

> For example, ERS developed a pest-ranking decision tool for APHIS to
> determine which pests would be on its 2004 and 2005 Federal-State
> Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) list, making transparent
> the basis for selecting the pests for which State cooperators could
> receive targeted pest surveillance and detections funds. Also, the
> recent and rapid spread of soybean rust in South America prompted ERS,
> in April 2004, to publish a study of the economic and policy impacts
> of its windborne entry into the United States. USDA used the ERS
> analysis in refining rapid response strategies when APHIS confirmed
> the presence of soybean rust on November 10, 2004 in Louisiana. ERS
> has extended this work to examine the value to producers of USDA's
> coordinated framework to detect and report the presence of Asian
> soybean rust in different producing areas.
>
> In addition to ERS-led analyses of invasive species issues, PREISM has
> allocated over \$3.8 million in extramural research cooperative
> agreements through a peer-reviewed competitive process in FY 2003-05.
> About \$1.1 million were allocated for extramural agreements in FY
> 2005.
>
> PREISM-funded researchers are addressing important issues. For
> example, a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
> research team collaborated with APHIS staff to analyze a rule to allow
> importation of avocados from Mexico, using a framework developed under
> a PREISM-funded agreement. The framework and economic analysis were
> published in the Federal Register with the APHIS rule. PREISM-funded
> researchers, as part of their projects, are collaborating with
> agencies to address invasive species issues and decisions, such as the
> coordination of prevention and control strategies for Brown Tree
> Snakes and *[Miconia]{.underline} [calvescens]{.underline}* in Hawaii,
> management of cheatgrass, management of diseases transmitted between
> livestock and wildlife, insect resistance management in strawberry
> production, responses to outbreaks of foreign animal diseases, and
> prioritizing invasive plant management by public agencies.
>
> ERS organizes workshops each year to provide a forum for dialogue on
> economic issues associated with agricultural invasive species.

B. **[USDA progress on ISAC recommendations from the March 2004
meeting]{.underline}**

3.  ISAC recommendation: **What are NISC agencies doing to avoid harm?**

    -   USDA's has seven agencies included in its invasive species
        portfolio: Forest Service (FS), Natural Resources Conservation
        Service (NRCS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
        (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cooperative State
        Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), Economic
        Research Service (ERS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

    -   Securing input from the USDA agencies, the USDA Senior Invasive
        Species Coordinator created the USDA DO NO HARM REPORT, a report
        to ISAC and NISC, by fiscal year, including 3 categories of
        activities:

> a\) Invasive Species Program activities that USDA agencies are
> carrying out to do no harm.
>
> b\) The way in which, when they do carry out other agency programs
> activities, they are also designed to do no harm.
>
> c\) A list of activities that ARE doing harm, and the future actions
> the agency will take to change the activities so that they do no harm.

Within the above categories, agencies include their own activities as
well as activities that are coordinated with other Federal agencies, per
the mandate under the Invasive Species Executive Order.

-   At the ISAC October 2004 meeting I presented the FY 2004 Do No Harm
    report for NRCS, APHIS, ARS, CSREES and ERS; at the February 2005
    meeting I presented the FY 2004 Do No Harm Report for the Forest
    Service. These were the first time the agencies prepared such a
    report. On October 2005 I presented the FY 2005 USDA Do No Harm
    Report for NRCS, APHIS, CSREES, ERS and FS.

-   Today, **I present you the FY 2005 ARS Do No Harm Report (See
    Enclosure).**

4.  ISAC recommendation: **NISC should request all Federal agencies to
    identify existing grant programs, cooperative agreements and other
    mechanisms that are potential sources of funds for invasive species
    projects.**

# 

# - USDA compiled a comprehensive document with grant opportunities for work on research, technical assistance or management of invasives. The document, initially published on February 2005 is also available through [www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov](http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/). In 2006 we updated the document to include two grant programs from NRCS. Printed copies of the **2006 USDA Grants updated document are provided to ISAC members today (See Enclosure).**

5.  ISAC recommendation: **Encourage NISC policy liaisons to attend the
    ISAC meetings and present invasive species strategic plans for their
    respective agencies.**

    -   The Forest Service made a presentation to ISAC on the new
        "Forest Service Strategic Plan on Invasive Species" on
        October 2004. You received hard copies of the Plan.

    -   On February 2005 you heard a presentation about APHIS, the first
        USDA agency to have a strategic plan on invasive species, and
        its 2004 updated agency-wide plan. The current APHIS strategic
        plan can be found at
        <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/about/strategic_plan.html>

    -   The ARS and NRCS are preparing their agencies invasive species
        strategic plan. We will make presentations to ISAC when they are
        finalized.

C. **[USDA Progress on ISAC recommendations from the February 2005
meeting]{.underline}**

> 6\. ISAC recommendation: **What is the status on the implementation of
> the Noxious Weeds Act?**

-   The Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act was enacted October
    10, 2004. It creates a USDA five-year program.

-   Grants can be provided to weed management entities for control or
    eradication of noxious weeds, receive up to 50 % of Federal funds,
    and be matched by money or in-kind contributions. The authorization
    for appropriation is for \$7.5 Million per year in Grants, for 5
    years.

-   Agreements can be established with weed management entities to
    provide financial and technical assistance for control or
    eradication of noxious weeds. Agreements can be up to a 100 %
    federally funded. The authorization for appropriation is for \$7.5
    Million per year in Agreements, for 5 years.

-   The term "noxious weed" is defined in this law as it is defined in
    the Plant Protection Act.

-   It requires State, Tribal, regional and local involvement.

-   Some of the activities that can be funded are education, inventory
    and mapping, management, monitoring, methods development (research),
    and capacity building, including payment of personnel and equipment.

-   The legislation provides only authorization for appropriation of
    funds. To date there have been no funds appropriated for USDA to
    implement it.

-   USDA Secretary delegated to APHIS-PPQ the implementation for this
    legislation.

-   The FY 2007 President's budget did not include a request for funds
    to implement this legislation.

> 7\. ISAC recommendation: **Prohibition on hand carrying biocontrol
> agents by scientists: concerns of other agencies and stakeholders.**

A 2003 USDA OIG Audit Report on APHIS permitting recommended that APHIS
stop allowing the hand carrying of permitted materials into the United
States due to biosecurity concerns. Initially, APHIS PPQ began
"prohibiting" this practice for all organisms (plant pests, noxious
weeds, bees, biological control agents, etc.) entering the U.S. under a
PPQ permit.

Stakeholders from the biological control and the greater research
communities had concerns regarding the impact of the regulations on
efforts to implement biological control and on research on exotic
organisms.

The biocontrol community was concerned about the following issues:

1.  the prohibition on hand-carrying to inland quarantine facilities;

2.  the bonded carrier requirements to transport natural enemies from
    APHIS inspection stations to inland quarantine facilities;

3.  the additional requirement of APHIS inspections of natural enemies;
    and

4.  the NAPPO compliance for arthropod natural enemies.

The research community was concerned that current regulations were
negatively affecting the viability of transported organisms and impeding
the scientific exchange of research material where exotic organisms need
to be hand-carried to quarantine for pre-introduction studies, or for
natural enemy processing (e.g., elimination of parasites and diseases)
prior to field release.

The initial prohibition was modified (Sept. 2005) so that hand carrying
is allowed, but with certain restrictions:

-   Any permit holder may hand carry securely packaged organisms to any
    port of entry to the U.S. when justified and specifically authorized
    in the conditions of a permit, but must surrender the package to
    Customs and Border Protection inspectors at the port. The package
    will then be forwarded to a USDA APHIS PPQ Inspection Station for
    examination of contents and clearance. The package will then be
    forwarded by any commercial carrier chosen by the permit holder to
    the permit holder's address at his/her expense.

-   A permit holder who possesses a Federal security clearance
    (confidential or higher) may hand-carry packaged organisms directly
    to the address listed on the permit when it is authorized on the
    permit. Prior confirmation by APHIS PPQ of the permit holder's
    clearance is required, and PPQ must notify Customs and Border
    Protection at the port of entry on how to meet and clear the permit
    holder for each entry into the United States. A PPQ officer may also
    visit the receiving facility after arrival of a package to confirm
    its arrival and contents.

> Although these procedures are more restrictive than prior to September
> 11, 2001, some permit holders have successfully hand carried organisms
> to the country by one of these processes during the past years. The
> most reliable, and the most common way of importing live organisms
> into the United States has always been, and continues to be by bonded,
> professional carriers; hundreds of commercial shipments of living
> biological control organisms and other types of living organisms enter
> the country every week by bonded carrier. Compared with procedures
> prior to 2001, these new procedures for hand-carrying more effectively
> prevent the entry and dissemination of invasive species and plant
> pests in the United States, including those that may be actually or
> potentially, intentionally or unintentionally present in packages of
> biological control organisms.

The USDA Senior Invasive Species Coordinator, ARS and CSREES have worked
and will continue to work with APHIS to help improve the regulatory
process so that both agricultural security and integrated pest
management objectives can be maintained.

Please see ISAC recommendation 10 for further developments and the
resolution of this issue.

> 8\. ISAC recommendation: **Update on the Gambian pouched rat control
> effort.**

In the late 1990s, eight Gambian rats escaped from the pen of an exotic
pet breeder on Florida's Grassy Key and a viable population is now
established in that area. The rodents, which can weigh as much as 6
pounds, have been linked to several diseases that can infect humans,
including monkeypox.

In March 2005, APHIS Wildlife Service's Florida Program conducted a
pilot project to determine the prevalence of the Gambian giant rat
population in the Florida Keys and the feasibility of eradicating the
invasive species.

Twenty-nine of the giant rodents were trapped alive and humanely
euthanized during this pilot project. A preliminary survey to determine
the distribution of Gambian rats in the Florida Keys was conducted.
Program specialists were able to attract Gambian rats to particular
areas using bait stations with mineral oil and peanut butter. They
documented the rodents' presence using motion sensitive digital cameras.
Initial data suggests that Gambian giant rats are currently restricted
to Grassy and Crawl Keys; no Gambian giant rats were found at the
monitoring stations on Long Key. However, additional surveys are planned
in May-October 2006.

The pilot program tested bait preference and toxicant efficacy, and
designed toxicant bait stations. Nineteen Gambian giant rats were
captured on Grassy Key for this part of the study. APHIS is working to
secure an emergency exemption from the Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services for use of 2 of the 5 bait/toxicants tested.

Based on the successful results of the bait/toxicant trials, the agency
is confident that an eradication program is still possible. A scientist
participated in the zinc phosphide toxicant and baits trials (with 100%
efficacy) and is confident that successful eradication is possible. A
pilot eradication is planned for Crawl Key in late spring 2006. The
eradication program of Gambian giant rats on Grassy Key is planned to
start in late summer to early fall 2006. NEPA compliance will be met
prior to beginning eradication.

In mid September, APHIS provided the findings of Phase II of this
project to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
Florida State Parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They will
be evaluating the next steps.

> 9\. ISAC recommendation: **How to streamline the APHIS permit process
> to move organisms?**

APHIS has developed e-Permits, a comprehensive Web-based permitting
database, to improve the efficiency of all of APHIS permitting
processes. This database will move the agency from a paper-based
permitting system to an up-to-date, largely paperless, and much more
effective, user-friendly and transparent system. Applicants will apply
for permits online, track the progress of their applications during the
review process, and retrieve all permits that have been issued to them.
The e-Permits database will make all APHIS permits issued for the
movement of agricultural products and organisms electronically available
to agricultural inspectors at U.S. ports of entry. This will improve
agricultural screening activities and more effectively prevent entry of
invasive species and plant pests.

APHIS hopes to launch the first release of e-Permits by January 2006. It
will be geared to APHIS applicants who will be able to apply for permits
online. The system will be distributed to field personnel and
ports-of-entry during the second release, anticipated for the summer of
2006.

The full implementation of e-Permits and recent increases in scientific
positions in the PPQ Pest Permit Evaluations program will streamline and
accelerate the PPQ organism permitting process. Times for permit
issuance have already been reduced without sacrificing risk assessments
and the Agency's oversight responsibilities.

D. **[USDA Progress on ISAC recommendations from the October 2005
meeting]{.underline}**

> 10\. ISAC recommendation: **That ISAC Member Bill Dickerson interact
> with the USDA Senior Invasive Species Coordinator and other
> appropriate entities, including the Department of Homeland Security,
> to resolve issues concerning the importation of organisms, including
> biological control agents for research, evaluation and possible
> release, given that APHIS-PPQ is currently reviewing its procedures
> for such actions.**

Please read ISAC Recommendation \# 7 above for background information on
this issue.

On December 15, 2005, APHIS-PPQ rescinded the prohibition on
hand-carrying biological organisms and other germplasm, the bonded
carrier requirement, and the requirement for inspection at the APHIS-PPQ
inspection facility in Beltsville, MD (See Enclosure: Note from Dr.
Delfosse and Dr. Nowierski).

In early FY 2006, the APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
concluded an evaluation of the Agency's organism permitting function.
The review was designed to identify and implement improvements to this
crucial PPQ activity, including processes to streamline and improve
policies and protocols that will ensure safety of imported biological
organisms, including biological control agents, while maintaining the
organisms' viability when shipped to inland quarantine facilities for
research or pest management purposes.

The review recommended (1) reestablishing the policy allowing permit
holders the option to hand-carry organisms into approved facilities, (2)
establishment of a Permitting Board of Advisors, (3) improving customer
service, and (4) regulatory reform.

Based in part on feedback received from ISAC and its members, as of
March 1, 2006 PPQ reestablished the policy allowing permit holders the
option to hand-carry organisms, including biological control agents,
into approved facilities and to do so without the need to use commercial
carriers or to divert shipments to the PPQ Plant Inspection Station in
Beltsville, Maryland. Procedures to implement the reestablished policy
are being developed by PPQ's permitting unit. They can be reached at
1-877-770-5990, by e-mail at <Pest.Permit@aphis.usda.gov> or by visiting
their web site at <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits>. Please see
Enclosure: Letter dated Feb 9, 2006 by Dr. Richard Dunkle summarizing
the results of the Management Review.

Current permit holders must request an amended permit from APHIS-PPQ if
they wish to hand-carry biological control agents (or other organisms)
from their place of origin to any port of entry into the U.S., and then
hand-carry the organisms to any APHIS-approved quarantine facility
within the U.S. APHIS-PPQ will amend existing permits that specify \"No
hand carry,\" after proper arrangements are made with U.S. Department of
Homeland Security-Customs and Border Protection (CPB) port staff (to
verify the hand-carrier is listed on the permit) and with the
responsible person at the approved quarantine facility indicated on the
permit (quarantine officer, biosafety officer, etc.), to verify proper
delivery and content. For this process to work smoothly, the traveler
will need a permit from APHIS-PPQ that specifically authorizes
hand-carry. The APHIS-PPQ permit unit will work with other Federal
agencies such as DHS' CPB to ensure smooth movement through the port of
entry.

Through its Permitting Board of Advisors, PPQ will work closely with the
USDA Senior Invasive Species Coordinator and ISAC, and will seek their
counsel and support for the Agency's continued improvements to its
permitting policies and procedures.

> 11\. ISAC recommendation: **That USDA-CSREES Cooperative Extension
> creates a national extension service educational program on invasive
> species.**

CSREES recognizes the need for a strong educational program on invasive
species. CSREES is facilitating the development of an IPM^3^ Training
Consortium (Consortium) in collaboration with the Land Grant University
System and a number of Federal partners. A three-tiered training
structure is envisioned for this training program. It will include a
core IPM module; pest biology modules such as entomology, weed science,
plant pathology, and vertebrate pest management; and specialty modules
such as structural pest management, management of weeds in natural
areas, rangeland weed management, public health, landscape and turf, and
invasive species. If the Consortium is able to offer the invasive
species module through the CSREES e-extension system (the electronic
extension service) then this would be the equivalent of having a
national extension service educational program on invasive species.

> 12\. ISAC recommendation: **That the NISC policy liaisons provide
> guidance to the ISAC Leadership and Coordination Subcommittee
> regarding issues the subcommittee should address.**

No action on this recommendation to date.

13\. ISAC recommendation: **That appropriate resources (i.e. dedicated
funding, staff resources, in-kind support) be provided for the
development of the two major federal invasive species websites,
*invasivespecies.gov* and *invasivespeciesinfo.gov*.**

[NISC response for invasivespecies.gov]{.underline}

Lori Williams, NISC Executive Director, will provide this information to
ISAC.

[NAL Response for Invasivespeciesinfo.gov]{.underline}

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) supports the development and
maintenance of the [www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov]{.underline} Web site.
It serves as the reference gateway for invasive species information,
called for in Executive Order 13112 and the National Management Plan.

Financial support for the web site program is provided by ARS. Base
funding for the program (\$175,000) began in FY 2002. Funds support
salaries for a dedicated full-time Web manager and a part-time temporary
librarian. Remaining funds were used in contracts and cooperative
agreements to evaluate, develop, and expand the content of the Web site.
Base funds were subject to rescissions, so that funds for FY 2006 are
\$169,173.

Since launching the web site in 2002, NAL has contributed more than
\$500,000 of staff and in-kind services to support the effort above the
appropriated base funding. In recent years this contribution is
approximately \$70,000 a year. NAL faces significant challenges to
maintain core services. Since 1996 NAL has abolished 47 positions (22%
of its workforce), closed numerous programs, and has a diminished budget
to purchase library materials. NAL's in-kind contributions made to date
represent a big commitment to the invasive species program. The level at
which this commitment can continue depends upon NAL's FY 2007
appropriation.

Between FY 2000 and 2004 the Invasivespecies.gov Web site program
received additional support from ARS, the USDA Invasive Species
Coordinator, NISC, and the US Geological Service, National Biological
Information Infrastructure (NBII) amounting to approximately \$250,000.
The funds were used to support staff salaries in the early years, Web
design, server procurement, and later to support the efforts of the
Bugwood Network for photographic images used on the site. In FY 2006 ARS
also provided design assistance for a display banner for the
Invasivespeciesinfo.gov program.

Individual specialists, ISAC members, NISC staff and USDA Invasive
Species Coordinators have provided assistance to respond to information
requests from customers and participated in strategic planning
stakeholder workshops.

The Web site initiative was a high level priority for increased support
in the FY 06 budget proposal sent to Congress. However, it was not
funded.

Customer requests for information increased by 12 fold in the February
2006, straining staff resources and increasing the need for a technical
solution to streamline maintenance of the Web site. NAL will continue
its commitment to the program to the extent its fiscal resources allow.
NAL welcomes contributions from all sources: information, funds, and
other in-kind contributions.

14\. ISAC statement on EDRR Emergency Fund: **ISAC submits to NISC the
memorandum entitled *Framework and funding for Early Detection and Rapid
Response of New Invasive Species Entering the U.S., dated October 13,
2005 and a follow up to the ISAC memorandum dated October 15, 2004.***

This issue is being discussed within USDA. As soon as a decision is
reached, we will inform ISAC.

15\. ISAC recommendation: **That the Federal committees (ANSTF, ITAP and
FICMNEW) provide ISAC with a list of priority research needs.**

Priority Research Needs from the ITAP Subcommittee on Systematics:

1\. Develop the research capacity to predict, detect and accurately
identify invasive species, both those already in the U.S. and those that
threaten our nation.

2\. Build and maintain reference and living collections that serve as a
foundation for identification and baselines to document invasive species
distribution through time and space.

3\. Develop integrated informatics about invasive species based on
systematic knowledge and data from specimen collections that allows
users to have access to descriptions, illustrations, and synoptic data
for host range, geographic distribution and phylogenetic context.

Priority Research Needs from the ITAP Subcommittee on Plant Pathogens:

1\. Use the current knowledge base to predict potential invasive plant
pathogens in order to take action to prevent their entry into the U.S.

2\. Conduct research to develop rapid, accurate means of identification
of potentially invasive plant pathogens based on sound systematic
knowledge.

3\. Expand and strengthen the existing National Plant Diagnostics
Network of first responders who can detect and identify invasive plant
pathogens quickly to possibly eradicate or mitigate damage caused by the
pathogen.

There may be other research priorities for ITAP that will be reported in
the future.

I respectfully submit this report to ISAC. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero

Senior Invasive Species Coordinator

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Work - (202) 354-1880

Fax - (202) 371-1751

Cell - (510) 301-1164

Email address - hdiazsoltero@fs.fed.us

Office: Natl. Invasive Species Council

1201 Eye St., NW, Washington, DC

Mail: 1849 C St. NW (OS/SIO/NISC)

Washington, DC 20240