This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior (through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to create the "National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Program." The program must identify and respond to priority invasive species threats on and next to National Wildlife Refuge System lands and waters. The Secretary must establish at least one invasive species strike team in each Fish and Wildlife Service region. Teams will work on prevention, biosecurity, early detection, rapid response, eradication, containment, mapping, monitoring, integrated pest management, training (including Incident Command System exercises), and use risk assessments and research to improve actions. The bill requires coordination with Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, local, nonprofit, and private partners and the use of national and regional reporting systems (for example, EDDMapS, iMapInvasives, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, and State databases). The Secretary may provide financial and technical assistance, contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements and may enter agreements to help other agencies respond to invasive species. The bill also requires reports to specified congressional committees and public posting 2 and 5 years after enactment. Definitions in the bill include "invasive species," "early detection," and "priority invasive species."
The bill's stated purpose is to legislate and fund a coordinated, regional strike team program to prevent, detect early, and rapidly respond to invasive species on and next to National Wildlife Refuge System lands. It emphasizes partnerships, standardized reporting, training, and use of research and risk assessments to improve outcomes.
No publicly available information.