Fish  and Wildlife Service (FWS) and NOAA. Task Force Member Agencies Estimated Expending an Average of About $260 Million Annually to Address Aquatic Invasive Species in Fiscal Years 2012 through 2014

Task Force member agencies estimated expending an average of about  $260 million annually for fiscal years 2012 through 2014 to address  aquatic invasive species. As a result, the  information reported by Task Force member agencies on annual  expenditures through our questionnaire generally reflects the agencies’  best estimates, rather than actual expenditures. Task Force Member Agencies Conducted a Wide Range of Activities and Identified Several Challenges in Addressing Aquatic Invasive Species

Through our questionnaire and interviews with officials from the Task  Force and its member agencies, we found that member agencies  conducted a wide range of activities and faced several challenges in  addressing aquatic invasive species. Most member agencies reported  conducting activities across the seven general activity categories  developed by the National Invasive Species Council, including taking  actions to prevent introductions of new aquatic invasive species and  control the spread of existing ones (see app. Regarding overarching challenges, several Task Force member  agencies—including officials from the Departments of the Interior and  Agriculture, the Corps, and NOAA—expressed concern that their  activities, though numerous, may not be adequate relative to the growing  magnitude and impacts of aquatic invasive species amid decreasing or  constrained agency resources. For  example, U.S. The Corps operates a series of electric barriers in  the Chicago Area Waterway System located approximately 25 miles  from Lake Michigan to prevent the entry of Asian Carp and other  aquatic invasive species from the Mississippi River Basin into the  Great Lakes. The Task Force Has Not Taken Key Steps to Measure Progress in Achieving Its Strategic Goals

The Task Force has not taken key steps to measure progress in  achieving the goals laid out in its 2013-2017 strategic plan. Task Force representatives said they plan to  further discuss the idea of reviving or modifying the reporting matrix at  their next semiannual Task Force meeting in November 2015. The Task Force and its member agencies have taken significant steps— including conducting a wide array of activities and developing a strategic  plan to guide their efforts—to address the threats and impacts of aquatic  invasive species. However, the Task Force has not met several of the  1990 Act’s requirements, including reporting annually to Congress on the  program’s progress, or developed a mechanism to ensure its strategic  goals are measurable and accountable, such as through an operational  plan, as called for in its strategic plan, because of constrained funding  and limited resources. Developing and  regularly using a tracking mechanism could help the Task Force measure  progress in achieving its strategic goals, as well as help the Task Force  meet the 1990 Act’s requirements to describe its members’ roles and  specific activities and to report annually to Congress on the program’s  progress. Recommendation for Executive Action

As the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force considers how to measure  progress toward accomplishing its strategic goals, we recommend that  the Task Force develop and regularly use a tracking mechanism, to  include elements envisioned for an operational plan and to largely meet  requirements in the 1990 Act, including:  specifying the roles of member agencies related to its strategic plan,  tracking activities to be conducted by collecting information on those  activities and associated funding, measuring progress member agencies have made in achieving its  reporting to Congress annually on the progress of its program. NOAA also stated that our report did not mention federal mandates  intended to address aquatic invasive species other than the  Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, the  National Invasive Species Act of 1996, and Executive Order 13112. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report examines (1) how much the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task  Force (Task Force) member agencies expended addressing aquatic  invasive species from fiscal year 2012 through 2014; (2) activities  conducted by Task Force member agencies and challenges in addressing  aquatic invasive species; and (3) the extent to which the Task Force has  measured progress in achieving the goals of its 2013-2017 strategic plan.
Why GAO Did This Study

Aquatic invasive species—harmful, nonnative plants, animals, and microorganisms living in aquatic habitats—damage ecosystems or threaten commercial, agricultural, and recreational activities. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 created the Task Force and required it to develop an aquatic nuisance (which GAO refers to as invasive) species program. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 includes a provision that GAO assess federal costs of, and spending on, aquatic invasive species.
This report examines (1) how much Task Force member agencies expended addressing aquatic invasive species for fiscal years 2012-2014; (2) activities conducted by Task Force member agencies and challenges in addressing aquatic invasive species; and (3) the extent to which the Task Force has measured progress in achieving the goals of its 2013-2017 strategic plan. GAO sent a questionnaire to member agencies to obtain expenditures for fiscal years 2012-2014; interviewed member agency officials; and analyzed laws and strategic planning documents.

What GAO Found

The 13 federal member agencies of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (Task Force) estimated expending an average of about $260 million annually for fiscal years 2012 through 2014 to address aquatic invasive species. However, several member agencies identified in their questionnaire responses challenges in developing their estimates. For example, some member agencies reported that their activities to address aquatic invasive species were often integrated into larger projects, making it difficult to isolate the portion of expenditures specific to aquatic invasive species out of total expenditures for the projects. As a result, expenditure information reported by GAO generally reflects member agencies' best estimates of total expenditures, rather than actual expenditures.
Task Force member agencies conducted a wide range of activities and identified several challenges in addressing aquatic invasive species. Member agencies reported conducting activities across several activity categories, including taking actions to prevent introductions, control the spread of existing invaders, and research ecological impacts of aquatic invasive species. For instance, most conducted prevention activities—such as constructing a series of electric barriers to prevent the entry of Asian Carp from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes—recognizing that prevention activities may be the most cost-effective method of addressing aquatic invasive species. Additionally, officials from several member agencies expressed concern that their activities, though numerous, may not be adequate relative to the growing magnitude and impacts of aquatic invasive species amid decreasing or constrained agency resources.
The Task Force—which is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—developed a 2013-2017 strategic plan to guide its member agencies but has not taken key steps to measure progress in achieving the goals laid out in its strategic plan. As called for in its strategic plan, the Task Force in 2012 planned to develop an operational plan to track and measure aquatic invasive species activities and progress. However, the Task Force did not develop an operational plan because of constrained funding and limited resources, according to Task Force representatives. The Task Force also did not meet several of the 1990 Act's requirements including describing its members' roles and activities and reporting annually to Congress on the program's progress. The representatives agreed that a mechanism to track activities and measure progress is important and said they plan to discuss the possibility of doing so at their November 2015 meeting. Task Force representatives, however, had not established a time frame or specifics for their approach. Developing and regularly using a tracking mechanism could help the Task Force measure progress in achieving its strategic goals, as well as help the Task Force meet the 1990 Act's requirements to describe its members' roles and specific activities and to report annually to Congress on the program's progress.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Task Force develop a mechanism to measure progress toward its strategic goals and help meet certain statutory requirements. Most member agencies generally concurred or had no comments, but NOAA disagreed. GAO believes its recommendation is valid as discussed further in this report.