Congress takes up brown tree snake

CNMI Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio recently provided oral testimony in Congress in support of a bill to provide for the control and eradication of the brown tree snake on Guam and the prevention of the introduction of the BTS to other areas of the United States and territories.

H.R. 3479, or the proposed Brown Tree Snake Control and Eradication Act, was introduced by Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo and Hawaii Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case.

At the legislative hearing conducted May 13 by the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans of the U.S. House Committee on Resources, Tenorio spoke of the devastating ecologic and economic damage the BTS has inflicted on Guam and how similar events could transpire if the BTS is not properly controlled and it manages to establish a foothold in the CNMI.

“Because of its close proximity, the increasing frequency of vessel and cargo traffic, and similar environments and climate, the CNMI is at an incredibly high risk for BTS introduction from Guam,” said Tenorio.

Key objectives of H.R. 3479 include the authorization of $18 million in each fiscal year from 2005 to 2010 to the U.S. departments of Agriculture and of the Interior for BTS control, interdiction, research, and eradication; the statutory authorization of and establishment of a BTS Control and Eradication Committee; greater federal involvement and support for BTS concerns on Guam; and greater federal involvement and cooperation with state and local authorities to prevent the introduction of BTS to other areas of the United States.

“The passage of H.R. 3479 is vital because it would ensure long-term funding and support for control, research, and hopeful eradication of the BTS,” said Tenorio. “It is also imperative in that it would ensure that the CNMI, Guam, Hawaii, and various federal agencies would work closely to prevent the spread of BTS beyond the borders of Guam to other areas in the Pacific and the mainland US.”

Those who testified along with Tenorio included Case; Dr. James Tate Jr., Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Department of the Interior; William Clay, Deputy Administrator of Wildlife Services, Department of Agriculture; and testifying via videoconference were Guam Gov. Felix Camacho and Guam Sen. Tina Barnes.

The BTS is believed to have been inadvertently brought to Guam shortly after World War II, transported in materials on a military cargo ship possibly from Guinea or Australia. Because of the previously abundant prey and the lack of natural predators, the BTS easily managed to thrive on Guam.

The BTS has been the principal cause of the devastation of the island’s native bird and lizard population, where 10 of 13 bird species and nine of 12 lizard species have been wiped out.

The CNMI is the final remaining home to several indigenous endemic and endangered bird species that also used to inhabit Guam but were exterminated by the BTS.

Besides the environmental harm, the BTS has also caused major damage to Guam’s economy. They are believed to have been directly responsible for causing 241 power outages in the past five years and 1,600 in the past 20 years, costing about $4.5 million per year.

All testimony heard was in support of H.R. 3479. The measure has also been referred to the House Agriculture Committee.

“Regional cooperation is the cornerstone of this bill, and the only way this species can be controlled and eventually eradicated,” concluded Tenorio.