"Governor Forms Invasive Species Council





Cites Threat of Foreign Plants, Insects to State’s Environment and Quality of Life





(TRENTON)--Noting the serious threats posed to our state’s natural and agricultural resources by harmful invasive plants, insects and other organisms not native to our own state, Governor James E. McGreevey established a New Jersey Invasive Species Council charged to develop comprehensive measures to combat these dangerous invaders and protect the state’s biological diversity.







“Ensuring the protection of New Jersey’s rich biological diversity is an essential component of my smart growth initiatives. The health of our natural environment is essential for our quality of life and for our economic vitality,” said Governor McGreevey. “It is imperative that we take aggressive steps to address the threats posed by harmful invasive plants and insects on New Jersey’s natural and agricultural ecosystems.”







The Governor signed the Executive Order after accepting a new Department of Environmental Protection report that, for the first time, details the substantial problems posed by harmful invasive plant species, which crowd out native species and damage wetlands, uplands, lakes and rivers.







The Executive Order outlines the responsibilities of the new Invasive Species Council, co-chaired by DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell and Department of Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus, which includes the development of a comprehensive New Jersey Invasive Species Management Plan to be submitted to the Governor by June 2005.







The Governor said that establishment of the Invasive Species Council will ensure that a comprehensive approach by all affected state agencies, as well as the horticultural, conservation and academic communities, is taken to address the serious economic and ecological threat.







Invasive species threaten New Jersey’s agricultural resources through lost production and marketability for agricultural products. Nationally, damage from invasive species cost $123 billion annually.







There are more than 1,000 nonindigenous plants in New Jersey that have been introduced from Europe and Asia. The report includes fact sheets on 29 nonindigenous plants documented to aggressively invade and establish native plant communities in New Jersey.







In addition to the DEP Commissioner and Agriculture Secretary, the Council will be comprised of the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation; the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission; three representatives from conservation organizations; one representative from the agricultural sector; two representatives from the nursery and landscape sector; one representative of the New Jersey Agricultural Invasive Species Council; one representative from academia; and one or more members of the general public.







“It is important for us to recognize the problem posed by exotic invasive plants. This issue has been building as a quiet crisis for many years. The better we understand this problem, the better prepared we will be to seek viable solutions that will allow us to maintain our open spaces for the enjoyment of all our citizens and the preservation of our rich natural heritage,” said Campbell.







"Invasive plants and insects threaten the biological diversity and agricultural productivity of our land," said Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus. "By coordinating our efforts, we can more effectively help prevent the introduction of invasive species, and identify emerging problems and the resources to address them."







"We appreciate the opportunity to support the Governor's initiative to preserve and protect New Jersey's natural landscapes and ecosystems," said State Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere. "We look forward to working with the New Jersey Invasive Species Council to develop plans to ensure the future viability of our state's native vegetation and natural resources."







Most harmful invasive plant species were introduced in North America either accidentally or intentionally from other parts of the world. Because these tend to have few if any natural predators or parasites on this continent, they are aggressive competitors for space and nutrients.







They often form dense stands or thickets that crowd out native vegetation. Some invasives, such as the common reed, are actually native species that spread out of control as a result of land disturbances that altered the original ecological balance.







Harmful invasive species threaten plant biodiversity but also affect wildlife that depend on the displaced native species as a food source. Invasive species alter the structure, composition and function of natural ecosystems.







An earlier report, the Final Report of the New Jersey Comparative Risk Project, released in July identified invasive species, including plants, insects and other organisms, as one of the top four environmental problems facing the state.







That report also cited land-use change – the dramatic physical transformation of open, wooded, agricultural and wetland areas to suburban development – as the heart of many of New Jersey’s environmental problems. Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading to species loss and permanent destruction within several of the state’s ecosystems. Invasive species are more likely to proliferate on lands that have been disturbed.







New Jersey has taken some steps to eradicate invasive species. The departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture have formed study groups, monitored invasive plants, developed agricultural invasive species management plans and have launched eradication and biological-control programs targeting selected insect pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle. If introduced into New Jersey’s forest ecosystem, this beetle, inadvertently brought from China, has the potential to damage all of the state’s 1.9 million acres of hardwood forests.







The hemlock woolly adelgid, an aphid-like insect native to China and Japan, poses a catastrophic risk to all 26,000 acres of hemlock forest in our state.







Among the plant species detailed in the new report is the Norway maple tree, which is still one of the most commonly planted street trees in New Jersey. Unlike most invasives that move into habitats disturbed by people, the Norway maple also invades undisturbed habitats and outcompetes other species. The Norway maple is highly effective in replacing diverse native hardwood forests because of its prolific seed production, tolerance to shade and aggressive competition.







Purple loosestrife is one of the most widespread invasive plants in New Jersey, invading wetlands and posing a direct threat to several state and federally endangered species. It occurs abundantly in wetlands throughout the state, except in the Pine Barrens where it occurs only rarely, in ditches and recently disturbed wetlands.







Some invasives are commercially sold, including Japanese barberry, offered as an ornamental shrub. Since it can tolerate low light, it invades deep into forests with closed tree canopies.







The most efficient way of controlling invasives is to prevent them from entering the state or eradicating them before they become entrenched and prolific.







The report, An Overview of Nonindigenous Plant Species in New Jersey, is available on the DEP’s Web site: http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/InvasiveReport.pdf







Link title: An Overview of Nonindigenous Species in New Jersey (Abobe Acrobat PDF file)







The executive order is attached.







EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 97







WHEREAS, harmful non-indigenous species of plants, animals, and other organisms, commonly referred to as invasive species, pose a threat to New Jersey’s native vegetation and natural resources by invading healthy ecosystems where they displace, impair or destroy indigenous species and impair ecosystem function; and







WHEREAS, invasive species threaten New Jersey’s agricultural resources through loss of production and loss of product marketability; and







WHEREAS, invasive species pose a threat to natural biodiversity, the integrity and function of natural ecosystems, and economic vitality in New Jersey and throughout the United States; and







WHEREAS, this national threat affects approximately 1,880 federally listed species; and;







WHEREAS, it has been estimated that damages from non-indigenous species in the United States result in economic losses of $123 billion annually; and







WHEREAS, invasive species have been documented on lands managed by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry and Division of Fish and Wildlife, including portions of the State’s Natural Areas System, and on agricultural lands and on other private lands; and







WHEREAS, the federal government has created a national Invasive Species Council and an Invasive Species Advisory Committee and has mandated the preparation of a National Invasive Species Management Plan to address the invasive species threat; and







WHEREAS, the Departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture have taken steps to address the threat posed by invasive species, including the formation of study groups, the monitoring of invasive species, the development of agricultural invasive species management plans, along with eradication and biological control programs targeting selected invasive species and plant pests of foreign origin; and







WHEREAS, despite these efforts, invasive species continue to be introduced into New Jersey; and







WHEREAS, the most efficient means of controlling invasive species is to prevent their entry into the State and to address an invasive species before the species becomes established; and







WHEREAS, it is necessary and appropriate for New Jersey to develop uniform policies and a coordinated response to the threat posed by invasive species to the State’s native and agricultural vegetation, and to establish a source of advice to the Governor on this issue;







NOW THEREFORE, I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:



1. There is hereby established a New Jersey Invasive Species Council (Council).







2. The Council shall consist of:



· The Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection or his designee;



· The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his designee;



· The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation or his designee;



· The Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Commerce and Economic Growth Commission or his designee;



Additional members of the Council shall be appointed by the Governor as follows:



· Three representatives from conservation organizations;



· One representative from the agricultural sector;



· Two representatives of the nursery and landscape sector;



· One representative of the New Jersey Agricultural Invasive Species Council;



· One representative from academia;



· One or more representatives from the general public.







3. The Co-Chairpersons of the Council shall be the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, or their designees.







4. The Council shall request the participation of the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of the Interior.







5. The Council shall develop a comprehensive New Jersey Invasive Species Management Plan to be submitted to the Governor no later than June 2005. The management plan shall include but not be limited to: a statement of policy and mission; definitions; findings concerning the current status of non-indigenous plant species in New Jersey and their impact on habitat, biota and natural ecosystems; identification of prevention methods and procedures for early detection and rapid response, and control measures; identification of restoration and research needs and pilot projects; establishment of information management, education and interpretation measures; and coordination among state agencies and adjacent states.







6. The Council shall undertake the following tasks and any other reasonable measures necessary to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to eliminate or minimize invasive species already established in the State. These tasks, as appropriate, may become components of the New Jersey Invasive Species Management Plan:



a. Recommend measures necessary for the Departments and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with federal agencies and other states in complying with Executive Order 13112 and the National Invasive Species Management Plan;



b. Identify research needs to better assess the sources, degree, distribution and threat posed by invasive species, and methods for preventing the introduction and control of invasive species;



c. Review ongoing invasive species control efforts being carried out by the Departments, and recommend new or revised measures to limit the introduction and effectuate the control of invasive species;



d. Produce educational materials for public distribution regarding the threats posed by invasive species, outlining measures to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to control invasive species, and encourage the use of local native genotypes propagated in New Jersey in landscaping and planting (including drought tolerant native plants);



e. Develop partnerships with federal, State and local government agencies and private organizations, including the horticultural industry, necessary to implement the policies and recommendations of the Council;



f. Identify funding sources for research, monitoring, control and outreach programs;



g. Plan, design and implement two invasive species eradication and native plant restoration pilot projects by June 2005.



h. Identify legislative or regulatory actions necessary to implement or further the policies and recommendations of the Council.







7. This order shall take effect immediately."











For you herpers out in New Jersey, BEWARE!! New Jersey is already one of the most over-regulated, over- controlled states in the Union.



While there is certainly a concern regarding "invasive species" and the very real problems they generate everywhere, I do not think I trust the New Jersey State Government to get involved in this. They already require premits to own ANY kind of reptile and amphibian except a limited few, and totally prohibit collecting any New Jersey Reptiles or Amphibians by anyone for any reason.



I can see this resulting in more restrictions in the ownership of herptiles and perhaps even tropical fish in New Jersey.

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