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STOP THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE MUSSELS ACT
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HON. JOHN GARAMENDI
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 22, 2021
Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I reintroduced the ``Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act,'' along with my colleague, Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV). Our bipartisan bill would authorize federal land management agencies to take proven, commonsense measures to prevent the proliferation of invasive species in our nation's waterways and surface water infrastructure like reservoirs.
Specifically, our bipartisan bill targets the inadvertent introduction by recreational boating of invasive species from one federal reservoir to another. I thank former Congressman Ben McAdams
(D-UT) for sponsoring this bill last Congress, which I have now taken over and improved. I also want to thank the following organizations for endorsing our bill: Western Governors' Association, National Wildlife Federation, National Marine Manufacturers Association, American Sportfishing Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Invasive species not only crowd out native wildlife but also cause billions of dollars in avoidable damage to our nation's critical water infrastructure, particularly in western states like California. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, I have seen the damage caused by invasive water hyacinth so dense you can literally walk on water. Proliferate quagga and zebra mussels clog water pipelines, reduce the capacity of canals, and damage dam operations for hydropower, water storage, and flood control. In 2007, California's Department of Water Resources detected invasive quagga mussels in the State Water Project and the Colorado River Aqueduct, which supply water for communities in southern California. All it takes for these mussels to invade a new lake or waterway is a cup of contaminated water containing their microscopic larvae carried inadvertently by a motorboat or recreational watercraft that has not been decontaminated properly.
The best defense against spreading invasive aquatic species is simple: inspection and dry-docking or similarly effective treatment of contaminated watercraft for a few days until they are no longer a threat. Mandatory inspections by state wildlife agencies have proven effective at keeping these invasive mussels out of Lake Tahoe, one of the most popular recreational areas in the American West. Under current law, federal agencies lack a similar inspection authority to state wildlife agencies, which cannot conduct inspections on federal land such as National Parks and National Forests.
Our bipartisan ``Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act'' would ensure that federal land management agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service have the authority to conduct these inspections. In addition, our bill would establish a new U.S. Bureau of Reclamation grant program for inspection stations at federally managed reservoirs.
Madam Speaker, Congress can help to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species, protect our native wildlife, and reduce the need for more expensive remediation efforts. I urge all Members of the House to join us in cosponsoring the ``Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act.''
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 186
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