Roadside Use of Native Plants

Department of Transportation Policy on Invasive Species

Background

Transportation systems facilitate the spread of species outside their natural range, both domestically and internationally. Of particular concern are those species that are likely to harm the environment, human health or economy.

In response to this concern, the Clinton Administration has mouhted a national effort. On February 3, 1999 President Clinton issued Executive Order 13112 which calls for Executive Branch agencies to work to prevent the introduction and control the spread of invasive species and eliminate or minimize their associated economic, ecological and human health impacts.

The Department of Transportation's (DOT) efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species

1. are in keeping with the Department's strategic goals, which include both ensuring transportation safety and the protection and enhancement of the natural environment affected by trasportation,
2. are in accord with its statutory mandate to protect against aquatic invasive species,
3. reflect Departmental participation on interagency committees, such as the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the Federal Interagency Committee for Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, the Native Plants Conservation Initiative, the Interagency Ecosystem Management Task Force, and the Interagency Working Group on Endangered Species, and
4. reflect compliance with the Presidential Memorandum n Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Practies on Federal Landscaped Grounds

Policy

The Department's policy is to fully participate in Administration efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by:

1. pursuing appropriate authorities and funding for implementation;
2. participating on interagency committees;
3. analyzing invasive species' effects in accordance with Section 2 of Executive Order 13112
4. increasing coordinated research;
5. implementing, at DOT facilities and DOT-funded facilities, the Presidential memorandum on beneficial landscaping;
6. coordinating with international organizations, such as the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Organization for Standardization on coperative efforts;
7. training agency personnel and informing the public;
8. coordinating with other federal agencies and with state, local, and tribal governments; and
9. encouraging innovative designs for transportation equipment and systems systems.