[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22073-22074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11021]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Draft Brown Tree Snake Control Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Draft Brown Tree 
Snake Control Plan for public review and comments. The document was 
prepared by the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee of the Aquatic 
Nuisance Species Task Force, as required by section 1209 of the 
[[Page 22074]] Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 
Act of 1990. Comments received will be considered in preparing the 
final Brown Tree Snake Control Plan, which will become the basis for a 
cooperative and integrated Brown Tree Snake Control Program with the 
involvement of Federal, State, and Territorial, and local resource 
agencies.

DATES: Comments on the Draft Brown Tree Snake Control Plan should be 
received by June 19, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written responses and requests for copies of the document 
should be mailed to Robert P. Smith, Chair, Brown Tree Snake Control 
Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 50167, Honolulu, HI 
96850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert P. Smith, Chair, Brown Tree Snake Control Committee, at (808) 
541-2749.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A native of Indonesia, New Guinea, the 
Solomon Islands, and Australia, the brown tree snake (Boiga 
irregularis) has caused or been a major factor in a modern extinction 
episode beyond its native range that is unprecedented in its scope: the 
extirpation of most of Guam's native terrestrial vertebrates, including 
fruit bats, lizards, and virtually all of the island's forest birds. In 
addition, brown tree snakes in Guam have caused more than a thousand 
power outages, damaged agricultural interests by preying on poultry, 
killed many pets, and envenomated numerous children.
    Several governmental agencies and private entities have been 
working to prevent similar ecological disasters on other Pacific 
islands, since the threat of the brown tree snake's dispersal to other 
islands and continents is significant. The brown tree snake is a major 
threat to the biodiversity of the Pacific region and other areas at 
risk. High densities of snakes occur in many urban areas on Guam where 
cargo is loaded for transport by air and sea to other Pacific islands, 
and dispersal has been documented by snakes discovered on islands in 
Hawaii and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and even 
in the continental United States.
    In recognition of this threat, the United States Congress included 
a section in the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 
Act of 1990 that authorizes a cooperative program to control the brown 
tree snake outside of its historic range. Representatives of the 
Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and the Interior; the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Territory of Guam; 
and the State of Hawaii formed the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee 
on May 1993 to develop an integrated pest management approach that 
would:
    <bullet> Reduce existing brown tree snake population on Guam;
    <bullet> Prevent the spread of brown tree snakes to other Pacific 
islands and mainland areas;
    <bullet> Eradicate or contain new populations as soon as detected;
    <bullet> Protect endangered species and other wildlife from brown 
tree snake predation;
    <bullet> Assist organizations and individuals on Guam to manage and 
control brown tree snake infestations, and especially to reduce 
disruptions of electrical supplies and human-snake encounters resulting 
in emotional trauma and bites;
    <bullet> Develop adequate information on the brown tree snake's 
biology, dispersal dynamics, and control to support Federal, State, 
Territorial, and Commonwealth needs; and
    <bullet> Develop more effective and environmentally sound control 
strategies and methods.
    To meet these objectives, the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee 
has developed a draft plan reviewing the biology of the brown tree 
snake, its population development and status on various Pacific 
islands, its current and potential impacts on the environment and the 
economy, and past and present brown tree snake control activities. The 
draft plan also outlines specific tasks that need to be accomplished 
and funding needed for operational and research activities.

    Dated: April 28, 1995.
Gary Edwards,
Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, Assistant Director--
Fisheries.
[FR Doc. 95-11021 Filed 5-3-95; 8:45 am]
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