[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22073-22074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11021]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Draft Brown Tree Snake Control Plan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Draft Brown Tree
Snake Control Plan for public review and comments. The document was
prepared by the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee of the Aquatic
Nuisance Species Task Force, as required by section 1209 of the
[[Page 22074]] Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control
Act of 1990. Comments received will be considered in preparing the
final Brown Tree Snake Control Plan, which will become the basis for a
cooperative and integrated Brown Tree Snake Control Program with the
involvement of Federal, State, and Territorial, and local resource
agencies.
DATES: Comments on the Draft Brown Tree Snake Control Plan should be
received by June 19, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Written responses and requests for copies of the document
should be mailed to Robert P. Smith, Chair, Brown Tree Snake Control
Committee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 50167, Honolulu, HI
96850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert P. Smith, Chair, Brown Tree Snake Control Committee, at (808)
541-2749.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A native of Indonesia, New Guinea, the
Solomon Islands, and Australia, the brown tree snake (Boiga
irregularis) has caused or been a major factor in a modern extinction
episode beyond its native range that is unprecedented in its scope: the
extirpation of most of Guam's native terrestrial vertebrates, including
fruit bats, lizards, and virtually all of the island's forest birds. In
addition, brown tree snakes in Guam have caused more than a thousand
power outages, damaged agricultural interests by preying on poultry,
killed many pets, and envenomated numerous children.
Several governmental agencies and private entities have been
working to prevent similar ecological disasters on other Pacific
islands, since the threat of the brown tree snake's dispersal to other
islands and continents is significant. The brown tree snake is a major
threat to the biodiversity of the Pacific region and other areas at
risk. High densities of snakes occur in many urban areas on Guam where
cargo is loaded for transport by air and sea to other Pacific islands,
and dispersal has been documented by snakes discovered on islands in
Hawaii and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and even
in the continental United States.
In recognition of this threat, the United States Congress included
a section in the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control
Act of 1990 that authorizes a cooperative program to control the brown
tree snake outside of its historic range. Representatives of the
Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and the Interior; the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the Territory of Guam;
and the State of Hawaii formed the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee
on May 1993 to develop an integrated pest management approach that
would:
Reduce existing brown tree snake population on Guam;
Prevent the spread of brown tree snakes to other Pacific
islands and mainland areas;
Eradicate or contain new populations as soon as detected;
Protect endangered species and other wildlife from brown
tree snake predation;
Assist organizations and individuals on Guam to manage and
control brown tree snake infestations, and especially to reduce
disruptions of electrical supplies and human-snake encounters resulting
in emotional trauma and bites;
Develop adequate information on the brown tree snake's
biology, dispersal dynamics, and control to support Federal, State,
Territorial, and Commonwealth needs; and
Develop more effective and environmentally sound control
strategies and methods.
To meet these objectives, the Brown Tree Snake Control Committee
has developed a draft plan reviewing the biology of the brown tree
snake, its population development and status on various Pacific
islands, its current and potential impacts on the environment and the
economy, and past and present brown tree snake control activities. The
draft plan also outlines specific tasks that need to be accomplished
and funding needed for operational and research activities.
Dated: April 28, 1995.
Gary Edwards,
Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, Assistant Director--
Fisheries.
[FR Doc. 95-11021 Filed 5-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
