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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 17
INTRODUCED BY W. CURDY
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT ENABLES FEDERAL AGENCIES TO SUPPORT STATES' EFFORTS TO COMBAT AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES.
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT ENABLES FEDERAL AGENCIES TO SUPPORT STATES' EFFORTS TO COMBAT AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES.
WHEREAS, eradication of aquatic invasive species is a matter of national concern, transcending state lines; and
WHEREAS, the presence and spread of quagga and zebra mussels, collectively referred to as dreissenid mussels, is a matter of growing and alarming concern in the West; and
WHEREAS, shipping vessels from Eastern Europe introduced dreissenids to the United States in the Great Lakes region in the 1980s; and
WHEREAS, mussels have now spread to more than 30 states, including Montana, after tests confirmed the presence of mussel larvae in Tiber Reservoir in 2016; and
WHEREAS, in its 5-year lifetime, a single quagga or zebra mussel produces about 5 million eggs, 100,000 of which reach adulthood, in turn producing half a billion offspring total; and
WHEREAS, mussels spread, in large part and across state lines, by attaching to exposed hard surfaces or catching a ride in ballast water and being transported from water body to water body; and
WHEREAS, it is paramount to prevent the spread of invasive mussels to uninfested waterways, especially the Columbia River Basin -- the last major uninfested water system in the continental United States -- where it is estimated the annual cost of addressing an established population of dreissenids would be almost $500 million; and
WHEREAS, a recent economic impact study conducted by the University of Montana Flathead Biological Station found Montana's economy could see more than $230 million in annual mitigation costs and lost revenue if dreissenids become established in the state; and
WHEREAS, the application of effective inspection and decontamination practices as watercraft leave infested waters is the first, best, and most cost-effective line of defense against the proliferation of dreissenids; and
WHEREAS, many western states, including Montana, are leading the fight by enacting laws to establish watercraft inspection and decontamination programs within their boundaries.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
(1) That the United States Congress be urged to enact legislation that:
(a) requires consultation with states and tribes regarding the location of watercraft inspection stations for the highest likelihood of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species at and from federal water bodies;
(b) requires assistance to be provided to states for rapid response to any aquatic invasive species infestation; and
(c) provides funding to states for watercraft inspection stations and aquatic invasive species control projects to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species into and out of federal water bodies.
(2) That the Secretary of State send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, each member of the Montana Congressional Delegation, the secretaries of the United States Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture, the directors of the United States Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, the commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, and the chief of the United States Forest Service.
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