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Opportunity to Comment "Importation of Plants for Planting" -- NAPPRA (Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis)
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Prevention is the key to keeping invasive plants out of our country! APHIS is establishing a new category of regulated articles in the regulations governing the importation of plants for planting, commonly known as the Q37 regulations. The revision would allow APHIS to maximize protection of U.S. agriculture from foreign pests that could enter this country while minimizing adverse economic and trade impacts. See a recent presentation about the Revision of Quarantine 37 (PDF | 277 KB) for more information. All comments received on Docket APHIS-2006-0011 on or before Jul 5, 2011 will be considered.

Bighead Carp Added to Federal List of Injurious Wildlife (Mar 21, 2011)
DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule in the Mar 22 Federal Register officially adding the bighead carp to the federal injurious wildlife list. The final rule codifies the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (S. 1421), signed into law by President Obama on Dec 14, 2010. The injurious wildlife listing means that under the Lacey Act it is illegal to import or to transport live bighead carp, including viable eggs or hybrids of the species, across state lines, except by permit for zoological, education, medical, or scientific purposes.

EPA Seeks Comments to Develop Management Practices for Recreational Vessels (Mar 14, 2011)
Southern Maryland Online.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment from boaters and other stakeholders to help develop proposed regulations, as required by the 2008 Clean Boating Act, to reduce water pollution and the spread of invasive species in the nation's rivers, lakes and other water bodies. As an alternative to permits required for commercial vessels, the act directs EPA to develop and promulgate management practices for recreational vessels. The important input received through this process will help guide the development of proposed regulations to mitigate adverse effects from recreational boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff, that may contain substances harmful to water quality or spread invasive species. Public listening sessions and webinars are available to those who would like to provide input (various dates between Mar 18-Apr 29, 2011).

Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters (Dec 20, 2010)
DHS. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is proposing new standards for controlling foreign organisms that might hitch a ride to the United States in a ship's ballast water (view rule). The new standards are expected to be published Apr 2011. The proposal also would establish new procedures for approving onboard equipment to clean ballast water before discharge. For the first time, the regulation sets upper limits for the number of organisms per unit of ballast water. The current rules only require vessels to make mid-ocean ballast exchanges, a control technique that has frequently been attacked as inadequate to prevent the introduction of alien species into U.S. waters. The Coast Guard's proposal closely follows recommendations adopted last month by the International Maritime Organization's marine pollution committee.

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force / Press Release -- Obama Administration Officials Announce the Final Recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force (Jul 19, 2010)
The White House. President Barack Obama.
The President signed an Executive Order and the Administration released the final recommendations (PDF | 3.6 MB) of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force which would establish a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes (National Policy) and create a National Ocean Council (NOC) to strengthen ocean governance and coordination. Our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are subject to substantial pressures and face significant environmental challenges, including those resulting from invasive species.

Service Seeks Public Comment on Plan to Restrict Giant Invasive Snakes (Mar 11, 2010)
DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Mar 12 to designate the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act. If finalized, the designation will prohibit the importation and interstate transportation of these species. In addition to the proposed rule, a draft economic analysis and environmental assessment are available for public review and comment for 60 days. These documents are available at Regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015.

U.S. Government Launches New CITES Website (Mar 9, 2010)
A new Web site US CITES.gov will concentrate specifically on information concerning the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), from a U.S. perspective. CITES is a multinational agreement that entered into force in 1975 to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct because of international trade. Under this treaty, countries work together to ensure that international trade in animal and plant species is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations by regulating the import, export, re-export, and introduction from the sea of certain animal and plant species.

Injurious Wildlife and Injurious Wildlife: A Summary of the Injurious Provisions of the Lacey Act (Jun 2010; PDF | 688 KB)
DOI. FWS. Division of Environmental Quality.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (Dec 29, 2000; PDF | 259 KB)
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.

Covers congressional bills, executive orders, congressional hearings and testimonies, and other Federal legislative information.

Lists laws and regulations relating to invasive species for each state, as well as links to other sites with state legal information.

Describes international guidelines, agreements, treaties, and legal organizations on the global and regional level.

Contains links to official declarations from organizations regarding invasive species, as well as related reports.