HR 147 (LSB 5751HH (4) 84)

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 147

BY  HALL

A Resolution to recognize the destructive nature of invasive species in the state and to encourage our state to make protection of our natural resources from these destructive pests a priority.

   WHEREAS, each year in Iowa millions of dollars, both public and private, are spent to control invasive insects, plants, and animals; and
   WHEREAS, invasive species threaten Iowa’s lands and waters by competing with and destroying native plants and animals and by disrupting complex natural ecosystems; and
   WHEREAS, several invasive insects are threatening our woodlands including the gypsy moth which is one of the most destructive pests of hardwood trees in the eastern United States and which, along with other foliage-eating pests, has caused an estimated $868 million in annual damages in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, gypsy moths are notorious hitchhikers which have been brought into Iowa on recreational vehicles and nursery stock where their caterpillars feast on the leaves of oak, apple, basswood, hawthorn, willow, and birch trees, as well as over 200 other kinds of trees and shrubs, defoliating, weakening, and sometimes killing the trees; and
   WHEREAS, Iowa is currently on the western edge of the gypsy moth infestation with relatively low densities of the insect and learning to recognize the gypsy moth is an important part of preventing infestations and severe damage to Iowa’s forests, woodlands, and urban landscapes; and
   WHEREAS, the emerald ash borer is another pest of trees which was first discovered in the United States in 2002 feeding on ash trees near Detroit and within two years more than six million ash trees in the area were dead or dying; and
   WHEREAS, the emerald ash borer only feeds on green, white, and black ash trees in North America, and these ash species are common in native Iowa forests and are a predominant species in the urban landscape in Iowa, with green ash being a regular component of floodplain areas and white ash being found in Iowa’s upland forests; and
   WHEREAS, emerald ash borer populations have spread to many eastern states and the insect was identified and confirmed in Iowa in May 2010 on Henderson Island in Allamakee County resulting in a quarantine of that county; and
   WHEREAS, a voluntary moratorium on purchasing ash nursery stock from east of the Mississippi River is being encouraged by the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Department of Natural Resources; and
   WHEREAS, Iowa’s waters are also threatened by aquatic invasive species including Eurasian watermilfoil, Asian carp, and zebra mussels; and
   WHEREAS, Eurasian watermilfoil is a highly invasive plant that competes aggressively with native aquatic plants and forms dense mats that interfere with fish spawning and growth, and boating, fishing, swimming, and other forms of water recreation; and
   WHEREAS, efforts to control the growth and spread of Eurasian watermilfoil in Iowa’s waters have focused on preventing the introduction of the plant into new bodies of water by encouraging boaters and fishers to rinse or dry boats, trailers, and fishing equipment before transporting them to another body of water; and
   WHEREAS, Asian carp, including bighead carp and silver carp, have also been found in Iowa’s lakes and rivers, including the Iowa great lakes and the Little Sioux River watershed; and
   WHEREAS, silver carp reach a maximum size of 40 inches and 50 pounds, compete with native species for food, and are notable for their ability to jump out of the water 10 or more feet into the air when startled by boat vibration creating dangerous situations for boaters and water-skiers; and
   WHEREAS, bighead carp can reach sizes up to five feet long and 90 pounds and also compete with native species for food; and
   WHEREAS, zebra mussels are another aquatic invasive species which was first discovered in Lake St. Clair located between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan in 1988 and has since spread to all the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River and other inland rivers, and lakes of 23 states; and
   WHEREAS, zebra mussels were first documented in Iowa in 1992 in the Mississippi River near Burlington and one year later were reported along the entire length of the Mississippi River bordering Iowa, and by 2005 were reported in Clear Lake; and
   WHEREAS, zebra mussels spread rapidly and significantly alter the ecosystem of a body of water where they become established, reaching densities of up to 6,000 zebra mussels per square foot, competing with other aquatic organisms for food, killing native mussels by colonizing on their shells, and clogging water intakes and pipes of power plants and water supply facilities resulting in millions of dollars of repair and cleanup expenses; and
   WHEREAS, the spread of zebra mussels to new bodies of water can be controlled by draining water from the livewell, bilge, transom well, and impeller of boats before leaving water accesses, emptying bait buckets in the trash instead of into a body of water, and washing and drying boats, trailers, and other equipment after use; NOW THEREFORE,

   BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That the House of Representatives encourages the state, its agencies, and its citizens to make protection of our natural resources from invasive species a priority; and

   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives supports and encourages efforts of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to monitor the spread of invasive species in the state and to continue to research ways to eliminate or halt the spread of such invasive species, and supports and encourages efforts of the public to assist in protecting our state’s natural resources from these dangerous invaders.