What You Can Do - Holding the Line

Doing Your Part

Fishing and boating – If you go fishing, don’t dump unused live bait into waterways. Species like the rusty crayfish, which out-competes other crayfish, have spread this way. Zebra mussels, other molluscs and some plant species have tiny propagules that can hitchhike on the surface of a boat, so scrub and dry your boat and motor apparatus before moving between different waterways.

Food – Do not transport fresh fruits, vegetables, grains or meats across state or country lines. Moving these items around can enhance the spread of agricultural pests. Wherever possible, choose locally grown or produced foods, which will also minimize the fuel used in transport and support the local agricultural economy.

Pets – Don’t release exotic pets or dump out aquarium contents, better yet, don’t buy exotic pets. Also, while cats as house pets are beloved by many, free-roaming cats are considered to be an exotic predator of local birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. In some localities, feral cat colonies are expanding at a rate that constitutes an invasion. Cats kept indoors are also safer and live longer than outdoor cats, who face fights, disease and automobiles.

Gardening – Choose native plants over exotic varieties that might be invasive. Native plant gardening is still in its infancy as a niche market, so you might have to pressure your local nurseries to offer a wider selection of natives. Native plants are also advantageous because they are well adapted to the conditions in your area, and that could mean less pesticides, fertilizers, watering and hassle. For more information on what plants are native to your area and what might be available, check with local garden clubs, native plant societies, botanical gardens and university plant science departments.

Recreation – Wash boots, clothing and vehicles before and after hiking in different community types, to remove seeds and other pests that might have attached themselves.

Volunteering – Many local parks, watersheds, wildlife refuges and other natural areas are fighting invasive species that degrade local habitats and limit recreational opportunities. Since weed control is a very labor-intensive process, many of these groups are looking for volunteers. Contact your local park, river group or local environmental council to find out if there is a volunteer project in your area.

Let Your Lawmakers Know

A. Make Prevention Our Top Priority

• Reverse current U.S. policy on the intentional import of live plants and animals, that is, switch from a "dirty" to a "clean" list approach that requires screening for invasiveness before import and which keeps out or limits import of species so as to prevent harm to native species or ecosystems - and make the legislative changes to do so.
  
• Substantially cut the unintentional introduction of aquatic invaders by overseeing federal standard-setting on the discharge of ballast water in the United States, supporting the development of technology to meet these standards; ensuring that agencies monitor and enforce compliance; and reauthorizing the 1996 National Invasive Species Act in the strongest and most comprehensive form.
  
• When considering, reviewing, or approving trade agreements, rigorously address invasive species, e.g., by allowing for restriction of imports of non-native species that are invasive elsewhere and by identifying pathways by which inadvertent introductions travel so that they may be interrupted.

B. Make Federal Agencies More Effective

• Use oversight authority to ensure that all federal agencies immediately and strongly implement that part of Executive Order 13112 that asks them to identify and reduce actions that introduce or spread invasive species in the United States or elsewhere.
  
• Appropriate adequate funds so that federal agencies have the resources to address invasive species problems promptly and comprehensively over the long-term.
  
• Strengthen the structure and leadership of the National Invasive Species Council and prompt more aggressive implementation of its National Management Plan.
  
• Oversee the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to ensure that the agency and its Administrator are committed to protecting biological diversity as well as agriculture.
  
• Evaluate the serious problems with border inspection for pests, weeds, and pathogens, e.g., in staffing and cross-department coordination, exacerbated by moving these functions into the Department of Homeland Security and amend its authorizing legislation if needed.