The Need

Invasive species present a particular management challenge to state government. The threat is widespread – invasive species threaten every state’s economy, environment, and public health. They come in the form of insects, plants, fish, mammals, and even pathogens. And management requires intervention at a variety of stages: prevention, early detection, control and management, restoration, and public education. 

It comes as little surprise that the management of invasive species falls under a myriad of statutes and regulations administered by a variety of agencies on the international, federal, state, and local levels. Laws are often passed to address specific crises (such as zebra mussels) and pathways of introduction of the species (such as ballast water). Policy studies have found that, as a result, “laws leave both obvious and subtle gaps in the regulation of [invasive species]” and “overlaps and gaps in this array of statutes often leave the Agency unsure of which authority to apply in any give case.”(1)

A Comprehensive and Coordinated Strategy

In 1997, 500 scientists and resource managers wrote to the Vice President: “We are losing the war against invasive exotic species, and their economic impacts are soaring. We simply cannot allow this unacceptable degradation of our Nation’s public and agriculture lands to continue.”(2)

In February of 1999, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13112 establishing the Federal Invasive Species Council. The Council consists of ten federal agencies whose actions affect invasive species. It serves as mechanism to promote information sharing and coordination of management efforts. Most importantly, the Council was tasked with creating an Invasive Species Management Plan to establish a comprehensive and coordinated approach to invasive species management.

States Offer Solutions

By 2000, states were following suit, using the federal model to establish their own invasive species councils and comprehensive management plans. In February 2000, the National Governors Association listed invasive species as a key opportunity for the nation’s governors to work cooperatively to address the national crisis of invasive species. Soon thereafter, Colorado, Idaho, and Wisconsin governors issued executive orders establishing invasive species councils and task forces. State legislators introduced bills to establish councils in Missouri, California, Oregon, and Connecticut, with the Missouri bill following the exact text of Federal E.O. 13112.

State legislators also scrambled to create a comprehensive management approach. Hawaii HB1346 consolidates all state laws and regulations on invasive species into one act and consolidates regulatory power to the Board of Agriculture. Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Washington consolidate power within one agency to regulate all aspects of aquatic invasive species and establish a comprehensive system of listing and organizing non-native species into regulatory categories.

In all, state governments are increasingly revising their management efforts to foster agency cooperation and take a comprehensive approach to meet the unique challenge of invasive species management.

See SERC’s “Invasive Species Management” State Activity page for a complete summary of state activities on invasive species.