USDA. FS. Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team.

See also: Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team Publications for more resources.

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Western Aquatic Invasive Species Resource Center.

See also: Legislation & Regulations - Articles for more resources

United States Department of Agriculture; DHS. Customs and Border Protection; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Don't Pack a Pest's goal is to educate travelers about the risks associated with carrying certain types of food, plants, or other agricultural items in passenger baggage and encouraging travelers to declare agricultural items and Don’t Pack a Pest. This inter-governmental program is working to safeguard food and agriculture in the U.S. and beyond.
See also: Don't Pack a Pest Program (USDA)

Elsevier. SSRN. Arizona Legal Studies.

National Invasive Species Council; Biological Invasions.

Building on information provided by federal agencies and an inspection of the US Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, this article reviews and identifies relevant authorities to determine federal legal capacities, gaps, and inconsistencies to address (Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR). Although the Plant Protection Act and the Animal Health Protection Act are comprehensive authorities that address the detection of and response to organisms that threaten plant and livestock health, there is no single authority that encompasses EDRR for all invasive species. Rather, there is a patchwork of authorities that unevenly addresses various aspects of EDRR. View Early Detection and Rapid Response for more information.
See related resource: Biological Invasions - Special Issue: Early Detection and Rapid Response for special issue on EDRR.

Blue Accounting.

Blue Accounting is tracking regional consistency in restrictions against the list of Least Wanted AIS [PDF, 1.5 MB] developed by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, as well as against species regulated at a federal level in Canada (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the U.S. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture). This data is paired with information on the activities that each jurisdiction regulates for these species.

Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition to intergovernmental efforts and research to detect and monitor aquatic nuisance species (ANS), the EPA addresses ANS using numerous regulatory tools.

The EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP) and Small Vessel General Permit (sVGP) regulate discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels, including ballast water and hull fouling, which are both pathways for introductions of aquatic nuisance species. The EPA and the Department of Defense are jointly developing the Uniform National Discharge Standards for vessels of the Armed Forces which will also regulate ballast water and hull fouling to help control the introduction of aquatic nuisance species.

Note: On December 4, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, which includes as Title IX the

University of Massachusetts - Amherst.

UMass Amherst study finds that invasive species are widely available due to inconsistent regulation. Results of a new study by ecologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst show that 1,330 nurseries, garden centers and online retailers are still offering hundreds of invasive plant species as ornamental garden plants. This includes 20 species that are illegal to grow or sell nationwide.

The study, “Invaders for sale: the ongoing spread of invasive species by the plant trade industry,” published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, shows that existing regulatory and ethical guidelines do not serve to limit the widespread introduction of invasive plants and that more than 60% of the 1,285 plants identified as invasive remain for sale.

USDA. Forest Service.

Chapter 15 (pages 321-328) in open access book; see related resource: Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the United States Forest Sector

In the United States, biological invaders are managed by all Federal agencies that have responsibility for natural resources, as well as the States, territories, and occasionally regional entities. Federal agencies’ invasive species programs are implemented under the mandates and guidance provided by dozens of laws, which include statutes enacted by the Congress, Executive Orders issued by the President, and regulations adopted by the relevant agencies. Although there are numerous laws implemented by the States or occasionally regional entities, this chapter will focus on Federal legislation and regulations that guide work on all public and private forests, rangelands, and grasslands in the United States.

Citation: Campbell, Faith T.; Diaz-Soltero, Hilda; Hayes, Deborah C. 2021. Legislation and Policy. In: Poland, Therese M.; Patel-Weynand, Toral; Finch, Deborah M.; Ford Miniat, Chelcy; Hayes, Deborah C.; Lopez, Vanessa M., eds. Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the United States Forest Sector. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer International Publishing: 321 - 328. Chapter 15.

National Agricultural Law Center.

Congressional Research Service (CRS Report - R43258); prepared for Members and Committees of Congress.
See also: All Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports for other related invasive species reports.

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Western Aquatic Invasive Species Resource Center.

The purpose of this toolkit is to assist local governments with navigating the regulatory framework associated with high-risk priority aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Note: In 2020, the National Sea Grant Law Center and project partner, Creative Resources Strategies, LLC, received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct research on the role of municipalities in aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention efforts. This project resulted in the development of an online toolkit to help local governments navigate the regulatory framework associated with high-risk priority AIS.

University of Massachusetts - Amherst.

Research led by Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) team members Eve Beaury and Emily Fusco evaluates the current landscape of invasive plant regulations across U.S.states. We've got a lot of room for improvement - especially in addressing the need to prohibit range-shifting invasive plants before they arrive. As plants continue to move north driven by climate change, the number of invasives will only increase. Unfortunately, inconsistent regulations that vary from state to state means that invasive plants have an edge on our attempts to control them. However, new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology (requires login 🔒) suggests that we already have an answer in hand – communication.

Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes Collaborative.

One of the WIGL Collaborative’s major initial projects was to research and summarize the existing federal, state and provincial laws and regulations that relate to invasive woody plants. You can use this page to find information about the laws of states or provinces in the Great Lakes Region. You can also use our map tool for an at-a-glance comparison of how the Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes are regulated in the region.

National Conference of State Legislatures.

Invasive species pose a significant threat to natural resources in the U.S. Because invasive species can spread rapidly, collaboration among states is essential.

Georgia Invasive Species Task Force.

This appendix contains a brief description of a number of the major federal legal authorities that deal with invasive species.