What are the Impacts of Invasive Species?

• One study estimates that the total costs of invasive species in the United States amount to more than $100 billion each year. (Pimentel et al., 1999).
  
  
• Invasive species impact nearly half of the species currently listed as Threatened or Endangered under the U.S Federal Endangered Species Act.
  
  
• One invasive plant, purple loosestrife, can produce up to 2.7 million seeds per plant yearly and spreads across approximately 1 million additional acres of wetlands each year.
  
  
• The brown tree snake, an invasive snake originating in the South Pacific and Australia, has exterminated 10 of 13 native bird species, 6 of 12 native lizard species, and 2 of 3 bat species on the island of Guam.
  
  
• The glassy-winged sharpshooter, an invasive insect recently detected in California, carries with it the plant bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, a disease that has caused nearly $40 million in losses of California grapes. The disease poses a major threat to grape, raisin, and wine industries, as well as the tourism associated with them. Collectively these are valued at nearly $35 billion annually.
  
  
• Foot and mouth disease, a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals, has caused the United States to ban temporarily meat imports from the European Union and Chile. The epidemic has already cost British companies $30 billion dollars, according to the Institute of Directors. Small businesses have lost on average $75,000 and larger ones have lost approximately $300,000.
  

How are we dealing with the Invasive Species Problem?

On February 3, 1999, Executive Order 13112 was signed establishing the National Invasive Species Council (Council). The Council is an inter-Departmental body that helps to coordinate and ensure complementary, cost-effective Federal activities regarding invasive species. Council members include the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, State, Treasury, Transportation, Defense, and Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Together with the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, stakeholders, concerned members of the public, and member departments, the Council formulated an action plan for the nation. The Council issued the National Invasive Species Management Plan early in 2001 to provide an overall blueprint for Federal action. The Plan recommends specific action items to improve coordination, prevention, control and management of invasive species by the Federal agency members of the Council.

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