§ 8506. Role of brown tree snake Technical Working Group

(a) Purpose

The Technical Working Group shall ensure that Federal, State, territorial, and local agency efforts concerning the brown tree snake are coordinated, effective, complementary, and cost-effective.

(b) Specific duties and activities The Technical Working Group shall be responsible for the following:

(1) The evaluation of Federal, State, and territorial activities, programs and policies that are likely to cause or promote the introduction or spread of the brown tree snake in the United States or the Freely Associated States and the preparation of recommendations for governmental actions to minimize the risk of introduction or further spread of the brown tree snake.

(2) The preparation of recommendations for activities, programs, and policies to reduce and eventually eradicate the brown tree snake in Guam or other areas within the United States where the snake may be established and the monitoring of the implementation of those activities, programs, and policies.

(3) Any revision of the Brown Tree Snake Control Plan, originally published in June 1996, which was prepared to coordinate Federal, State, territorial, and local government efforts to control, interdict, eradicate or conduct research on the brown tree snake.

(c) Reporting requirement

(1) Report Subject to the availability of appropriations for this purpose, the Technical Working Group shall prepare a report describing—

(A) the progress made toward a large-scale population reduction or eradication of the brown tree snake in Guam or other sites that are infested by the brown tree snake;

(B) the interdiction and other activities required to reduce the risk of introduction of the brown tree snake or other nonindigenous snake species in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, American Samoa, and the Freely Associated States;

(C) the applied and basic research activities that will lead to improved brown tree snake control, interdiction and eradication efforts conducted by Federal, State, territorial, and local governments; and

(D) the programs and activities for brown tree snake control, interdiction, research and eradication that have been funded, implemented, and planned by Federal, State, territorial, and local governments.

(2) Priorities The Technical Working Group shall include in the report a list of priorities, ranked in high, medium, and low categories, of Federal, State, territorial, and local efforts and programs in the following areas:

(A) Control.

(B) Interdiction.

(C) Research.

(D) Eradication.

(3) Assessments Technical Working Group shall include in the report the following assessments:

(A) An assessment of current funding shortfalls and future funding needs to support Federal, State, territorial, and local government efforts to control, interdict, eradicate, or conduct research on the brown tree snake.

(B) An assessment of regulatory limitations that hinder Federal, State, territorial, and local government efforts to control, interdict, eradicate or conduct research on the brown tree snake.

(4) Submission

Subject to the availability of appropriations for this purpose, the Technical Working Group shall submit the report to Congress not later than one year after October 30, 2004.

(d) Meetings

The Technical Working Group shall meet at least annually.

(e) Inclusion of Guam

The Secretaries shall ensure that adequate representation is afforded to the government of Guam in the Technical Working Group.

(f) Support

To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretaries shall make adequate resources available to the Technical Working Group to ensure its efficient and effective operation. The Secretaries may provide staff to assist the Technical Working Group in carrying out its duties and functions.

(g) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to each of the Secretaries not more than $450,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 108–384, § 7, Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2224.)