Second-Term Co-Chair: Amy Kretlow, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
First-Term Co-Chair: Tanner Davis, South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks
Congress established the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANS Task Force) with the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) in 1990, as amended by the National Invasive Species Act (NISA) in 1996, to coordinate governmental efforts related to aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the U.S. with those of the private sector and other North American interests. The ANS Task Force is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and consists of 13 Federal agency representatives and 13 ex-officio representatives. These member agencies work in conjunction with issue specific committees and a national network of six regional advisory panels to coordinate efforts among local stakeholders to develop regional strategies and actions for achieving the goals of the ANS Task Force.
In 2001, MICRA was invited to serve as one of the 13 ex-officio members of the ANS Task Force and to host the Mississippi River Basin Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species (MRBP), one of the six regional advisory panels to the ANS Task Force. An organizational strategy was developed by MICRA and approved by the ANS Task Force in 2002, and an MRBP organizational meeting was held in July 2003. The MRBP’s membership is much broader than the MICRA partnership with representatives from additional U.S. federal agencies, Canadian federal and provincial governments, academia, private industry, and members of the public elected to serve as at-large members. The MRBP is charged with addressing the responsibilities set forth for regional panels as outlined in NANPCA and achieving the goals identified in the ANS Task Force Strategic Plan.
The ANS Task Force and its six regional advisory panels are governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) regarding their establishment, operation, and termination. In addition to hosting the MRBP, MICRA maintains an AIS Committee for autonomy with regard to actions the association takes on specific AIS issues. Thus, positions and actions taken by the MRBP and MICRA with regard to various AIS issues may not always parallel one another.
For more information on the MRBP visit www.MRBP.org.