Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 273) to provide for the eradication and control of nutria in Maryland and Louisiana.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to offer this measure along with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). The fundamental goal of this legislation is to effectively address the growing problem of nutria that are destroying thousands of acres of essential wetland habitat. It also reauthorizes a 1998 law that created a pilot nutria program in Maryland at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area, and Tudor farms.

Since that time, Federal, State and local partners have worked together in Maryland to develop a nutria eradication strategy and to test restoration methods on the damaged marsh. Louisiana is working on a nutria control strategy and monitoring marsh recovery. These are both carefully crafted proposals which will systematically address nutria population control and marsh damage. They represent the culmination of scientific understanding about nutria population, dynamics and marsh impacts.

Because of the nutria's incredible ability to proliferate, partnerships in both States must act aggressively to avoid population increases that could nullify previous effort and investment of public and private resources. Both Maryland and Louisiana are serious about nutria control and have contributed several million in non-Federal funds, and both are committed to providing models for the control of nutria in the 14 other States in which they are found. Full commitment from both Federal and State partners is needed to complete these models over the next 5 years.

This semi-aquatic, nonnative rodent has no natural predators in Maryland, and they have consumed nearly half of the marsh lands on Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. These marshes are vital to the survival of millions of migratory waterfowl, bold and golden eagles, and neotropical songbirds. The remaining acreage of Blackwater is in serious peril. Unless nutria are stopped, they will continue to destroy wetlands in Blackwater and other refuges on the Delmarva peninsula, and marshlands along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

H.R. 273 will authorize Public Law 105-322, and it will implement the next step in the process, which is the eradication of nutria in Maryland as well as the restoration of damaged wetlands. In their testimony, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated: ``We recognize the need to continue cooperative efforts to eradicate nutria in the Chesapeake Bay region and will continue as a key Federal member of the nutria eradication partnership.''

In addition, H.R. 273 authorizes money to alleviate the tremendous problems that nutria have caused in Louisiana. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, these pesky rodents have damaged or destroyed over 100,000 acres of wetlands in their State.

Under the terms of the bill, the Secretary of the Interior will undertake steps to control or eradicate nutria in the two states and together with the National Invasive Species Council develop a long-term nutria control and eradication program.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 273 will help to solve serious problems facing Maryland's Eastern Shore and Louisiana's marshlands. It will serve as a model for other States that may face the prospect of fighting against an invading population of nutria. I urge Members to vote for H.R. 273.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close.

Madam Speaker, I thank the leadership on the other side of the aisle for moving this legislation. We appreciate the cooperation we have had from the Democrats, as well as staff on both sides. I urge Members to vote for this very important piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, Nutria is a rodent native to South America. They weigh approximately 18 pounds and resemble a beaver. In the 1930's, they were introduced into Louisiana. Studies indicate that female nutria are capable of producing up to 15 young per year. By 1943, they were well established in our state. The population of nutria in Louisiana reached levels of 20 million--many times higher than any other state in the country.

The preferred habitat of this rodent is wetland areas. They often dig intricate tunnel and burrow systems in their home range. Nutria have been known to eat rice, sugarcane, fruit and nut trees and seedlings of bald cypress, but prefer wetlands plants. Studies suggest that they waste 90 percent of plant material while feeding on the base and root system. This root system ``holds'' our fragile wetlands areas together. When the root systems are destroyed, so are the wetlands.

Researchers in Louisiana have fenced off areas of wetland plants in known nutria breeding areas. The protected area have had wetlands plants exceed six feet in height, while the unprotected areas have literally turned into mud, and eventually, open water. Between 2000 and 2001, the area of marsh converted to open water increased by over 4500 acres as a results of nutria damage. These rodents have damaged or destroyed over 100,000 acres in Louisiana.

The State of Louisiana has spent millions of dollars responding to this crisis. Nutria have been used as a source of fur, their meat has been placed on numerous restaurant menus and marketed by Louisiana's top chefs, they have been used as a food source for alligators in farming operations and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans used them in their animal feed. In 2001 dollars, pelts sold at levels as high as $31 each in 1931, $23 each in 1977, and today, $2.18 per pelt. In the late 1970's, trappers removed up to 1.9 million nutria per year. More recently, despite the best efforts of the state, only 987 trapping licenses were sold and less than 30,000 nutria were taken.

The American alligator is the most significant natural predator of nutria. In Louisiana, where alligator are most abundant, nutria comprise up to 60 percent of alligator diet. However, efforts to control the growing nutria population with alligator have proven insufficient. In fact, efforts to increase the alligator population to control nutria only resulted in a decrease of nutria in the alligator's diet and an increase in nutria trappers in alligator's diets.

I am happy to join my friend from Maryland, Congressman Gilchrest, in this effort to protect our fragile wetland areas from future destruction by passage of H.R. 273. As you

know, more endangered species depend upon the habitat provided by wetlands than any other environment for survival. In coastal areas, each mile of vegetated wetland also reduces storm surge by one foot-- protecting these areas will save FEMA money in future natural disasters.

This bill recognizes the wetland destruction caused by nutria in Louisiana and authorizes the Department of Interior to become a partner in our state's ongoing efforts to prevent further damage to inland and coastal wetland areas as a result of nutria.

Mr. President, this legislation would reauthorize and expand the Nutria Control Project established under Public Law 105-322 to help address the non-native rodent nutria which is destroying wetlands and valuable habitat at and around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in Louisiana. Sponsored by my colleague, Representative Wayne Gilchrest, the legislation authorizes $4 million in grant assistance to the State of Maryland and $2 million to the State of Louisiana for each of the next 5 fiscal

years to help alleviate this invasive problem.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and its surrounding wetlands are being threatened by the prolific and highly invasive non-indigenous species nutria which is destroying the tidal marshes and even displacing other native species. Over the past three decades, the population of nutria in Maryland has grown exponentially from about 150 to as many as 150,000--a thousand fold increase. During that same period, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has lost more than 40 percent of its marshes--approximately 7000 of 17,000 acres--due, in large part, to nutria. As nutria population densities continue to increase, so does the range of the creature and its associated ecological damage. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, every Maryland county south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on both the eastern and western shores has reported nutria. Without action, resource managers believe that valuable habitat will continue to be lost at an accelerated rate, numerous fish and wildlife resources will be impacted, and the range and distribution of this invasive species will continue to expand.

In 1998, the Congress enacted legislation Public Law 105-322-- authorizing $2.9 million for a 3-year pilot project designed to develop techniques to control nutria populations and to restore degraded marsh habitat. Over the past 3 years, approximately $2 million has been appropriated for studies of the reproductive capacity of the species, methods to eradicate nutria populations, and prospects for restoring wetlands destroyed by the critter along Maryland's Eastern Shore. The authorization expired in September 2002, and new legislation is needed to move to the next phase of a control and ultimately an eradication program. Results of the project in phase II are expected to be applicable throughout the range of nutria in North America, which includes 15 States and potentially over 1 million acres of marsh habitat on national wildlife refuges.

This legislation authorizes the Federal funds necessary to carry out the program. I urge adoption of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, as stated by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), the overall purpose of this legislation is to better coordinate and provide financial assistance to the States of Maryland and Louisiana in their efforts to eradicate and/or control nutria, a large member of the rodent family that has decimated wetland areas in both States.

Madam Speaker, no one denies the fact that nutria have become far too abundant in some regions of both States. In addition, it is the consensus of wildlife biologists that greater effort should be undertaken now to control this invasive pest before it ruins more valuable fish and wildlife habitat. This legislation is noncontroversial and should also help conserve coastal wetlands, something which is very important to my district. I support H.R. 273 and urge Members to do likewise.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 273, just received from the House and which is now at the desk.

The nutria eradication bill.

It certainly is.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record, with no intervening action or debate.