THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IS REVIEWING ECONOMIC AND
BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ON BOIGA GENUS OF SNAKES (BROWN TREE SNAKE) FOR
POSSIBLE ADDITION OF THE 28 SPECIES OF SNAKES IN THE GENUS TO THE LIST OF
INJURIOUS WILDLIFE UNDER THE LACEY ACT. The importation and introduction of Boiga snakes into the natural ecosystems of
the United
States may
pose a threat to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, the health and welfare of
human beings, or the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife resources in
the United
States.
Listing Boiga snakes as injurious would
prohibit their importation into, or transportation between, the continental United States, the District
of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, or any
territory or possession of the United States, with limited exceptions. This notice seeks comments from
the public to aid in determining if a proposed rule is warranted.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 12, 2003.
ADDRESSEES: Comments may be mailed or sent by fax to the Chief,
Division of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 322, Arlington, VA 22203; fax (703) 3581800. You may send comments by electronic
mail (email) to: Boiga@fws.gov. See the Public Comments Solicited
section below for file format and other information about electronic filing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT: Kari Duncan, Division of
Environmental Quality, Branch of Invasive Species at (703) 3582464 or kari duncan@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 28, 2003,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received a petition from the North American
Brown Tree Snake Control Team requesting that the entire Boiga
genus of snakes be considered for inclusion in the injurious wildlife
regulations pursuant to the Lacey Act. Brown tree snakes, Boiga
irregularis, are already listed as an injurious
wildlife species under the Lacey Act. The petitioners requested that we list
the entire genus because many of the species are similar in appearance and
could be misidentified upon inspection at importation, resulting in the
accidental introduction of brown tree snakes. The petitioners also noted,
many of the Boiga species have
similar ecologies, so it is not just the brown tree snake that has the
potential to become a problematic invasive species in the United States.
There are 28 species of snakes
in the Boiga genus. Snakes in the Boiga genus are native to Southeast Asia,
China, India, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Oceania, Northeast
Australia, and eastern equatorial
Africa. Boiga irregularis was accidentally introduced in Guam and has
become established. There have been other accidental introductions into Hawaii, Alaska, and Texas, but Boiga snakes
are not established in those locations.
Based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Law Enforcement importation declaration data, there were 1,850 snakes in the Boiga genus imported into the United States during the six and one-half year period from January 1997
to June 2003. The declared value of those 1,850 snakes was $16,495. Most of the
snakes were imported from Indonesia and most are used in the pet trade. The Lacey Act (18
U.S.C. 42) and its implementing regulations in 50 CFR part 16 restrict the
importation into or the transportation between the continental United States,
the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any
territory or possession of the United States of any species of wildlife, or
eggs thereof, determined to be injurious or potentially injurious to certain nterests, including those of agriculture, horticulture,
forestry, the health and welfare of human beings, and the welfare and survival
of wildlife and wildlife resources in the United States. However, injurious
wildlife may be imported by permit for zoological, educational, medical, or
scientific purposes in accordance with permit regulations at 50 CFR 16.22, or
by Federal agencies without a permit solely for their own use. If the process
initiated by this notice results in the addition of the Boiga
genus of snakes to the list of injurious wildlife contained in 50 CFRpart 16, their importation into the United States would be prohibited
except under the conditions, and for the purposes, described
above. This notice solicits economic, biological, or other information
concerning Boiga snakes. The
information will be used to determine if the species is a threat, or potential
threat, to those interests of the United States delineated above, and thus
warrants addition to the list of injurious wildlife in 50 CFR 16.13.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SOLICITED
Please send comments to Chief,
Division of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 322, Arlington, VA 22030. Comments may be hand-delivered to the above address or faxed to (703)
3581800. If you submit comments by e-mail, please submit comments as an ASCII
file format and avoid the use of special characters and encryption. Please
include Attn: [RIN
1018AT28] and your name and
return address in your e-mail message.