H-1225.2  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4008

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Regala, Sump, Linville, G. Chandler and Haigh

Read first time 02/01/1999.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Requesting support for the full federal appropriation to fund state aquatic nuisance species management plans. 

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The introduction of aquatic nuisance species, such as the zebra mussel, European green crab, and the mitten crab have the potential to cause significant environmental and economic damage to our state and nation; and

    WHEREAS, Aquatic nuisance species can spread from any state within our nation causing harm to all; and

    WHEREAS, The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 authorizes the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force to approve aquatic nuisance species management plans that are submitted by state governors, and authorizes the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to fund up to seventy-five percent of the implementation cost of approved plans; and

    WHEREAS, An important function of aquatic nuisance species management plans is to encourage state and regional jurisdictions to respond to aquatic nuisance species problems; and

    WHEREAS, Congress has authorized four million dollars annually to fund the implementation of state management plans to minimize the environmental and economic damage caused by aquatic nuisance species to our state and nation; and

    WHEREAS, In recent years only two hundred thousand dollars has been appropriated annually to fund the implementation of aquatic nuisance species management plans; and

    WHEREAS, The Washington State Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan alone identified one million seven hundred thousand dollars in additional funding needed to address aquatic nuisance species problems; and

    WHEREAS, Two hundred thousand dollars is inadequate to allow fifty states, as well as interstate organizations, to implement effective programs identified in aquatic nuisance species management plans; and

    WHEREAS, The appropriation of the full four million dollars authorized to fund aquatic nuisance species management plans would encourage development of plans, and thereby serve to reduce the destructive impact of aquatic nuisance species and minimize the risk of their spread to other states;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress should recognize the destructive potential of aquatic nuisance species and act to minimize this destruction by supporting appropriation of the four million dollars authorized to fund state aquatic nuisance species management plans in fiscal year 2000 and future years.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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