Summary
This legislation gives DEC emergency powers to independently add to the list of prohibited and regulated species without an extensive rulemaking process.
Explanation
From the Spotted Lanternfly to the Emerald Ash Borer, invasive species harm native plants, animals, and New York’s ecosystem health. These harms come with major costs..
Invasive species cost the United States over $26 billion annually since 2010. In New York, the spotted lanternfly alone could cost $300M annually if not contained, according to the Department of Agriculture and Markets, with $14.3M in costs to the wine industries in the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie regions in only the first three years of infestation. Municipalities note costs to remove trees due to public safety, and NYC Department of Environmental Protection cites a price tag of $4.5M to manage hydrilla. Approximately 36% of plant species in New York State are non-native, and invasive species are a massive threat to biodiversity loss. In addition to the loss of native species, they destroy forests and important habitats, damage crops and infrastructure, spread new diseases, and negatively impact income and recreation. New York is particularly susceptible to invasive species given it is a hub for trade, and as climate change alters the ecological landscape.
This legislation would make New York more nimble in responding to invasive species emergencies by giving the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) the authority to add invasive species to the prohibited and regulated species list. Without this authority, DEC gets stuck in the mire of state bureaucracy while invasives proliferate.
Before DEC can add a species to the invasive species list, thereby empowering DEC to regulate the possession, transport, importation, sale, or introduction of a species, the agency must conduct a full rulemaking process. While the state undertakes the rulemaking, the invasive species is already spreading rapidly and causing harm to farms, parks, homes, roads, and wildlife.
Giving DEC the power to more efficiently and effectively respond to these emergencies will help us be more resilient to invasive species, and help us protect our forests, our crops, and our local economies from these threats.
