Senate Environment Committee Issues Testimony From Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife
"Good morning, I'd like to thank each of you for the opportunity to visit and meet with you to discuss a very real and significant problem that affects our entire country and not just my home state of
"Invasive species are a leading driver of biodiversity loss and in many instances one of the primary factors that result in the listing of many of the country's threatened and endangered species. State Wildlife Action Plans serve as the blueprints for conserving our nation's fish and wildlife and preventing species from becoming endangered. In 2005, each state, territory, and the District Columbia submitted their plan for approval to the
"Following Executive Order (13312) signed by then
"Of the more than 6,500 invasive species known to occur in the
"The control of Phragmites is a major priority in
"From where we sit here today, we don't have to travel far to see an example of a highly successful program to combat an extremely detrimental introduced invasive species. Nutria, a semi-aquatic rodent native to
"Hopefully, all of us recognize that invasive species are a significant problem facing our country. There are steps that individual states can do, and have done, to prevent invasive species from becoming established or spreading into new areas, but many of these species cause problems across state lines and over large geographic areas, which is where the federal government could further help tackle this problem. While not referring to invasive species,
"I again would like to thank each of you for giving me the opportunity to meet with you today to talk about the important issue of invasive species, and I look forward to additional opportunities and actions to combat invasive species. With that, I'll gladly take any questions that you may have. Thank you.
Appendix 1: Information concerning some of the more common invasive species and pathogens addressed and managed in
INSECTS
Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis)
"Not normally found in the Western Hemisphere, these ticks were reported for the first time in
"In other countries, bites from these ticks can make people and animals seriously ill. However, as of
"Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
"The Asian tiger mosquito, is a small black mosquito that was accidentally imported into
"The Asian tiger mosquito presents two major problems. The first problem is that these mosquitoes are a nuisance. If you live in an urban area and have a mosquito problem, Asian tiger mosquitoes are the most likely culprit. Unlike many other species of mosquitoes, Asian tiger mosquitoes are very aggressive daytime biters. The second problem is that Asian tiger mosquitoes may pose a health threat. They have been found to be a successful disease vector that is able to transmit diseases such as the West Nile and Zika viruses.
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
"The emerald ash borer has been the most destructive forest pest in the history of pest introductions. In some of the most heavily infested areas, Ash trees have experienced a 99% mortality. Control options for this species include Ash tree removal or insecticidal treatment. One community in
"
Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta)
"Red Imported Fire Ants are native to
"Imported fire ants have been estimated to cause
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
"The spotted lanternfly is a plant hopper native to
"
PATHOGENS
Plum pox
"Plum Pox is a viral disease of stone fruits first described in 1915 in
"If plum pox were found, infected trees would be destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease in the orchard.
White-nose syndrome
"White-Nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease causing mass die-offs of bats at hibernation sites in the
"The disease is caused by a fungal pathogen called Psuedogymnoascus destructans, which erodes the bats skin tissue. Studies show that WNS causes bats to arouse during hibernation more frequently than normal; disrupting physiological processes. Scientists are researching this disease, how it affects different bat species, and how to contain or cure it.
PLANTS
Common reed (Phragmites australis)
"Phragmites has been present in
"Phragmites is a member of the grass family and spreads through an underground rhizome that can extend down as much as one meter and out more than 30 feet. This enables non-native Phragmites to spread more quickly than the native vegetation and form a complete monoculture. Because of this, Phragmites cannot be controlled by mowing or burning alone -- the rhizome allows new shoots to quickly re-establish so a combination of herbicide treatment and preferably followed by burning to remove the dead, above-ground, portion of the plant is necessary to allow native wetland plants to return to the site.
Invasive aquatic plants
"The top three of present concern are: Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), Creeping water primrose (Ludwigia peploides) and Parrot Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
"These plants can become very dense in a short period of time. At high densities, especially Hydrilla, can impede angling and boating and impact the ability of gamefish to forage and nest. They can also successfully outcompete native plant species. These plants are difficult to control using established control methods. A tremendous amount of staff time and resources can be expended in trying to control these species in our state ponds. In the past three years, more than
"
Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum)
"Japanese stilt grass is an annual grass native to
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, synonym = Ranunculus ficaria)
"Lesser celandine is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to
"The
Winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus)
"The winged euonymus is a deciduous shrub native to
WILDLIFE
Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
"Blue Catfish originated in
"The biggest threat of this non-native species is the ability of populations to grow rapidly and expand. They are voracious eaters and forage on a variety of food items - they can alter the food web via direct predation on important fish species and indirectly by competition for resources. They can reach very large sizes (100+lbs) in a relatively short period of time and have few natural predators once they attain these sizes.
Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
"The flathead catfish originated in the rivers and lakes in the lower
"In
"
Lionfish (Pterois volitans L.)
"The lionfish is native to the South
Northern snakehead (Chana argus)
"The northern snakehead, originally from
"Occurrence in DE: First confirmed in the
"This species has the ability to survive in poor water quality situations and can spread throughout a stream system as long as there are no impediments (dams). There is concern that they can outcompete native species, especially those that share similar spawning habitat and foraging activities such as Largemouth Bass. More research is needed however to confirm an ecological impact. The introduction of this species into habitat that supports a rare fish species, such as state endangered Blackbanded Sunfish, may be especially damaging.
Nutria (Myocastor coyups)
"Nutria are invasive, semi-aquatic, South American rodents first released into
Swamp red crayfish (Procambarus clarkia)
"The swamp red crayfish is native to
"The swamp red crayfish was first reported in 2011 but have since become pretty widespread in private ponds, stormwater management basins, and public waterways. This species outcompetes native crayfish species and is a vector for pathogens that can affect these native species."
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