Aquatic Nuisance Species Committee Report to the 2006 Legislature

The 2000 Washington State Legislature created the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Committee (RCW 77.60.130) to coordinate the implementation of programs that minimize the impact of invasive aquatic species, such as spartina, green crab, and others. (See Appendix A for the list of Committee members.) The Committee organizes the management efforts of many state and federal agencies through the Washington State ANS Management Plan. More than one hundred representatives from various agencies, local governments, tribes, and industries are invited to participate in the semi-annual meetings. The full Committee meets twice per year and the executive Committee meets monthly to address issues that require immediate attention and to prepare items for review by the full Committee. The Committee is currently co-chaired by Joan Cabreza, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Randall Marshall, Washington Department of Ecology.

Members of the Executive Committee also participate on the following groups to improve coordination: the State Noxious Weed Control Board, the State Ballast Water Work Group, the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, the National Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin International Task Force, the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, the Columbia River Basin 100th Meridian Group, and the ad hoc committee to form an Invasive Species Council in Washington.

The legislation that established the Committee requires a biennial report to the legislature with the third report due by December 1, 2005. The purpose of this report is to outline the Committee's accomplishments and make recommendations to the Legislature and other agencies to better fulfill the Committee's purpose.