16.3 - Identify the issues most relevant to hunting access and game species conservation

In an email correspondence with Susan Mangin, Executive Secretary, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, she wrote,

"AIS issues coordinated by the ANSTF focus on their impact to aquatic ecosystem and the economy and not specifically fishing. However, since AIS impact aquatic ecosystems, they may also impact fishing. For instance, Asian carp potentially can cause changes to aquatic ecosystems that could jeopardize native aquatic species."

"Through injurious wildlife regulations, four constrictors snakes have been listed that have impacted native wildlife in Florida."

The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force is an intergovernmental organization created to implement Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) of 1990. The goal of the task force is to control the expansion and prevent the introduction of aquatic nuisance species.

NPS has identified over 230 terrestrial and aquatic invasive animals that are having significant impacts on NPS resources and the landscapes and communities in which they are imbedded including:
o Non-native salmonids in many parks;
o Feral swine at Big Bend, Pinnacles, Big Cypress, Great Smoky Mountains, Big Cypress and Haleakala - feral swine impact threatened and endangered species and native wildlife habitat for such species as white-tailed deer and black bear.

NPS has helped develop management plans for:
o Indo-Pacific lionfish - Lionfish have potential impacts to many reef fish such as snappers and grouper.
o Upper Mississippi River basin Asian carp
o Western U.S. quagga and zebra mussels. Fifty-four parks are at risk for quagga/zebra mussel contamination. Parks in the Colorado basin spend nearly $1M each per year on mussel management and additional investments have been directed to law enforcement and regulation evaluations.
o Lake trout eradication in Yellowstone Lake is proposed to benefit Yellowstone cutthroats.