UPDATE: Invasive Species Hearing
The US House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on March 23rd, 2010. Last week the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife held a joint oversight hearing on "How To Manage Large Constrictor Snakes And Other Invasive Species." The Subcommittees received testimony on efforts to monitor and control Burmese Pythons and other invasive species in Everglades National Park. USARK provided the leadership and expert testimony that the Reptile Nation has come to expect. In attendance were USARK Senior Political Advisors Frank Vitello and Todd Willens. USARK Science Adviser Shawn Heflick provided expert testimony.
Committee Chairman Grijalva made opening remarks regarding the risks to Everglades National Park posed by invasive species. Members in attendance were Ranking Member Henry Brown (R-SC), Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Congresswoman Nepolitano (D-CA).
Expert Testimony was given by: Bert Frost, Ph.D., Associate Director, Natural Resources, Stewardship and Science, National Park Service; Frank J. Mazzotti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL; Marcy Heacker, M.S., Division of Birds, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; Daniel Thayer, Director, Department of Vegetation & Land Management, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL; Jorge P. Gutierrez, Jr., Civil Trial Attorney, Gonzalez and Garcia, Miami, FL; Shawn K. Heflick, M.S., Biologist USARK/ Science Officer CFHS, Palm Bay, FL; Daniel Simberloff, Ph.D., Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Phyllis Windle, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Invasive Species, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC; and Scott Hardin, Exotic Species Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL.
Ranking Member Henry Brown (R-SC) made a lengthy statement assailing the notion that listing large constrictors on the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act would have any positive impact on the Everglades. "How is putting thousands of Americans out of work and destroying thousands of small businesses going to eradicate Burmese pythons in South Florida?" Brown said. Congressman Bishop commented that it was clear pythons were an invasive issue limited to south Florida and would never be a problem in his home state of Utah.
Dr. Mazzotti from the University of Florida testified that 9 out of 10 of the radio telemetered Burmese pythons being tracked by the National Park Service in Everglades National Park succumbed to the recent cold snap and died as a result. Scott Hardin of Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation commission testified that he believed at least 50% or more of the pythons in south Florida died in the cold. Shawn Heflick, a conservation biologist and science adviser to USARK, said a cold-weather toll he estimated at 70 to 80 percent proved that federal risk assessments suggesting the snake could spread to other states were overblown. "This population of pythons cannot expand outside of Florida,'' he said. "This is a Florida problem, not a federal problem.'' Both Hardin and Mazzotti agreed that this was an issue limited to south Florida and the Lacey act was not an effective tool to control invasive species. They both urged a more pragmatic and comprehensive approach that was inclusive of the reptile industry.
Click here to read Testimony by Shawn Heflick on behalf of USARK: http://usark.org/uploads/Heflick Testimony.pdf
Click here to read Testimony of all witnesses (click individual names): http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=27&extmode=view&extid=340
The majority opinion amongst the witnesses seemed to be:
Pythons are a problem limited to several counties in south Florida.
As such a Lacey Act listing would not be warranted nor effective in addressing real problems.
A more comprehensive and pragmatic approach to dealing with potential invaders on a regional basis is necessary.
Collaboration between agencies, academics and the expertise of industry is key to finding real solutions.
USARK would like to thank the leadership and measured approach of Chairman Grijalva in conducting the hearing. We would also like to thank Ranking members Brown and Bishop for their astute comments and pointed questions revealing the true scope of the issues. Special thanks to Scott Hardin and Frank Mazzotti for bringing real perspective to what has been an over sensationalized regional problem. And a very special thanks to Shawn Heflick for his expertise and devotion to the truth on behalf of the Reptile Nation!
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