Invading plant and animal species are a source of catastrophic fires and other destructive acts, said Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso in introducing a bill Tuesday that he said will protect the nation from foreign pests.
“Invasive species clog pipes and they fuel catastrophic fire,” the Wyoming Republican said on the floor of the Senate. “In fact, invasive species have a role in 42 percent of the listings under the Endangered Species Act,” he said.
The pests are killing off the nation’s indigenous animals, while new plant species from Asia and elsewhere are exacerbating wildfires in California and other western states, he said.
Meanwhile, Eurasian zebra mussels have been a growing nuisance to power plant operators in the Great Lakes region, who are spending tens of millions of dollars each year to keep the pests from clogging their water cooling pipes.
For Barrasso, it’s time to get WILD, which is short for the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act. The bill was introduced with Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the environment committee. Carper bumped heads with Barrasso on the confirmation of Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, but in recent weeks has managed to get behind Barrasso on some legislation.
The Wild Act seeks to improve the system of protecting endangered species by promoting new technologies to monitor the plants and animals most at threat and work with businesses and states to reduce the threat posed by invasive pests from other countries.
Several examples of those technologies include: “a fish passage that automatically extracts invasive fish from streams,” gene detection technologies “to provide early detection of invasive species,” and the use of drones to detect and monitor specific invasive species, Barrasso said.
The bill would direct federal agencies to develop plans to combat the invasive threats while providing funding to landowners to improve habitats for fish and other species.
The bill also directs the Interior Department to administer cash prizes for innovative projects that improve conservation.
The WILD bill also reauthorizes “important laws to protect endangered and valuable species around the world,” including the African and Asian elephants, rhinoceros, tiger, great ape, and marine turtle, he said.
