16 USC 4723 – Regional coordination
(a) Great Lakes panel
(1) In general
Not later than 30 days following November 29, 1990, the Task Force shall request that the Great Lakes Commission (established under Article IV of the Great Lakes Compact to which the Congress granted consent in the Act of July 24, 1968, P.L. 90-419) convene a panel of Great Lakes region representatives from Federal, State and local agencies and from private environmental and commercial interests to—
(A) identify priorities for the Great Lakes region with respect to aquatic nuisance species;
(B) make recommendations to the Task Force regarding programs to carry out section 4722(i) of this title;
(C) assist the Task Force in coordinating Federal aquatic nuisance species program activities in the Great Lakes region;
(D) coordinate, where possible, aquatic nuisance species program activities in the Great Lakes region that are not conducted pursuant to this chapter;
(E) provide advice to public and private individuals and entities concerning methods of controlling aquatic nuisance species; and
(F) submit annually a report to the Task Force describing activities within the Great Lakes region related to aquatic nuisance species prevention, research, and control.
(2) Consultation
The Task Force shall request that the Great Lakes Fishery Commission provide information to the panel convened under this subsection on technical and policy matters related to the international fishery resources of the Great Lakes.
(3) Canadian participation
The panel convened under this subsection is encouraged to invite representatives from the Federal, provincial or territorial governments of Canada to participate as observers.
(b) Western regional panel
Not later than 30 days after October 26, 1996, the Task Force shall request a Western regional panel, comprised of Western region representatives from Federal, State, and local agencies and from private environmental and commercial interests, to—
(1) identify priorities for the Western region with respect to aquatic nuisance species;
(2) make recommendations to the Task Force regarding an education, monitoring (including inspection), prevention, and control program to prevent the spread of the zebra mussel west of the 100th Meridian pursuant to section 4722(i) of this title;
(3) coordinate, where possible, other aquatic nuisance species program activities in the Western region that are not conducted pursuant to this chapter;
(4) develop an emergency response strategy for Federal, State, and local entities for stemming new invasions of aquatic nuisance species in the region;
(5) provide advice to public and private individuals and entities concerning methods of preventing and controlling aquatic nuisance species infestations; and
(6) submit annually a report to the Task Force describing activities within the Western region related to aquatic nuisance species prevention, research, and control.
(c) Additional regional panels
Terms Used In 16 USC 4723
- aquatic nuisance species: means a nonindigenous species that threatens the diversity or abundance of native species or the ecological stability of infested waters, or commercial, agricultural, aquacultural or recreational activities dependent on such waters. See 16 USC 4702
- Great Lakes: means Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron (including Lake St. See 16 USC 4702
- Great Lakes region: means the 8 States that border on the Great Lakes. See 16 USC 4702
- State: means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands of the United States. See 16 USC 4702
- Task Force: means the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force established under section 4721 of this title. See 16 USC 4702
The Task Force shall—
(1) encourage the development and use of regional panels and other similar entities in regions in addition to the Great Lakes and Western regions (including providing financial assistance for the development and use of such entities) to carry out, with respect to those regions, activities that are similar to the activities described in subsections (a) and (b); and
(2) cooperate with regional panels and similar entities that carry out the activities described in paragraph (1).