Dear Mr. Palmer:
Thank you for contacting me to express your views about H.R. 669. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
H.R. 669 was introduced by Representative Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) on January 26, 2009. This bill would require that the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior establish a process for assessing the risk of all non-native wildlife species proposed for importation into the U.S. In addition, the bill requires the Secretary to develop a list of approved species and unapproved species for importation. This measure is currently pending before the House Natural Resources Committee where it awaits further consideration.
While I appreciate the serious economic and environmental impacts that non-native species have on our local communities, I am not convinced that H.R. 669 is necessary. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Law Enforcement already inspects imports at 38 major U.S. airports, ocean ports, and border crossings where the majority of species are brought into the U.S. FWS inspectors focus on detecting and deterring illegal trade in protected species and preventing the introduction of injurious wildlife. In addition, FWS inspectors work with their state counterparts to enforce the myriad state, Federal, and international laws on the importation of non-native wildlife. Should an injurious non-native species still find its way into the U.S., FWS has a sophisticated network of regional and local offices that continually search for these species and find ways to eradicate them.
Considering the many state, Federal, and international laws that govern the importation of non-native species, and the success that FWS has had in preventing and mitigating the problems caused by non-native species, I believe that H.R. 669 is duplicative and unnecessary. As such, should it come to the House floor for a vote, I would be inclined to oppose its passage.
Thank you again for contacting me. If I may be of any further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
John Linder
Member of Congress
Reply With Quote