Ohio is the third state to have its plan approved by the ANS Task Force. The other two states with approved plans are Michigan and New York. Approval of a Plan allows States and interstate organizations to request funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement their program.
Together with nearly $21,000 in State matching funds, activities funded by this grant will include regional and national coordination of aquatic nuisance species issues; interagency and interest group coordination of Ohio aquatic nuisance species strategies; aquatic nuisance species information assessment and development; coordination with the other Great Lakes States to ensure development of a consistent regional approach to introductions of new species; and prevention, control and abatement of species such as the zebra mussel and round goby.
The ANS Task Force is a Federal intergovernmental group established by the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741) and is responsible for developing a framework to address the problem of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species. The Task Force is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its 17 members represent the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. State Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and non-federal governmental entities.
Gary Edwards, Assistant Director of Fisheries for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and co-chair of the ANS Task Force says, "Ohio is to be commended for the development of its State management plan and its commitment to slowing the spread of nonindigenous species. The Service looks forward to working with the State of Ohio in implementing its plan."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
