Eric,



Once again we see the Brown Tree Snake (Guam) included within the contents of a US governmental agency report. In this case, the USGS, in their "Giant Constrictors: Biological and Management Profiles and an Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large Species of Pythons, Anacondas, and Boa Constrictor" by Robert Reed and Gordon Rodda…



From page 2 there is this, "Novelty is less readily quantified, but most ecologists are convinced introduced predators do significantly more damage if their predatory method includes a novel tactic for which the prey species has not evolved a defense (Rodda and others, 1997). A classic example is the doomed birds of Guam, which were unfamiliar with snakes and had not evolved any defense against a nocturnal arboreal snake predator such as the Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis, Savidge, 1987)."



Wow, Rodda (and others) worked on the Brown Tree Snake problem back in 1997 as well...Imagine that!



Well approximately seven years later (October 30, 2004), Congress (108th) passed Public Law 108-384 which states, “An Act to provide for the control and eradication of the brown tree snake on the island of Guam and the prevention of the introduction of the brown tree snake to other areas of the united States, and for other purposes.”

Source: http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/resources/pdf/PublicLaw_108-384.pdf



PL 108-384 includes the following information…



SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NEED FOR IMPROVED AND BETTER COORDINATED FEDERAL POLICY FOR BROWN TREE SNAKE INTRODUCTION, CONTROL, AND ERADICATION.



“It is the sense of Congress that there exists a need for improved and better coordinated control, interdiction, research, and eradication of the brown tree snake on the part of the United States and other interested parties.”



SEC. 4. BROWN TREE SNAKE CONTROL, INTERDICTION, RESEARCH AND ERADICATION.



1. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (Operations), received “not more than $2,600,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $13,000,000 over five years).



2. The APHIS, Wildlife Services (Operations), National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Methods Development, received “not more than $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $7,500,000 over five years).



3. The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) received “not more than $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $15,000,000 over five years).



4. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) received “not more than $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $10,000,000 over five years).



5. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Biological Resources received “not more than $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $7,500,000 over five years).



The subtotal of tax payer dollars for the “control, interdiction, research and eradication” of the Brown Tree Snake on the Island of Guam (FY2006-2010) is $53,000,000!



But that’s not the end of it…



SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS TO CONTROL THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF THE BROWN TREE SNAKE, Congress authorized these additional amounts directly to the Secretaries…



1. To the Secretary of Agriculture “not more than $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $15,000,000 over five years).



2. To the Secretary of the Interior “not more than $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010” (Total of $5,000,000 over five years).



For the grand total of not more than $73,000,000 tax payer dollars over a five year time period, four U.S. governmental agencies, two U.S. governmental secretaries and one governmental research center will attempt to “solve” the Brown Tree Snake on the island of Guam. Surely, the dreaded Brown Tree Snake will meet its demise from all of these “king’s horsemen”…



I’ll bet that we will continue to see the dreaded Brown Tree Snake as a problem for the “doomed birds of Guam”…I wonder how much the “control, interdiction, research and eradication” of the pythons, anacondas and boas will eventually cost all of us? I can not wait to hear about their “success” stories during their testimonies before Congress…



Later,

Jim.



PS: Did I say Guam is an island? And these "experts" are in charge of the python problem in the Florida Everglades? OMG!!!!


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CSRAJim

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