July 29, 2014 — New York’s junior U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Lake Placid Monday to discuss federal legislation that would help control the spread of invasive species.
Senator Gillibrand was at the Lake Placid Beach House overlooking Mirror Lake in the center of the village. She has introduced the ‘Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act’ to revise the Lacey Act. The senator said too many invasive species enter the U.S. because of a broken system that fails to prevent their entry, thus threatening the economic vitality of areas like the Adirondacks. “Under current law invasive species are regulated by a 112-year-old statute that gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service limited power to regulate non-native species of animals or to prohibit their importation or interstate sales. We have to improve the federal government’s ability to quickly respond to the threats. Once a species is listed as injurious it can’t be imported to the U.S. However, the current process can take four years to complete, giving invasive species more time to infiltrate our waterways.”
Gillibrand reported there are currently more than 236 species listed as injurious. Yet some already negatively impacting New York’s lakes and rivers — like the spiny water flea — are not on the list. Her legislation, she explained, would not only help speed listings but strengthen Fish and Wildlife enforcement.