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policy scientists and sociologists also have provided valuable insights that help us
understand the human dimensions of invasive annual grasses.
14.3.1 Policy Infl uences on Exotic Annual Grass Management
A number of US federal laws direct government action against exotic invasive spe-
cies. Many of these are directed toward particular species or purposes, for example,
the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act of 2010 or the provision in the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Effi cient (SAFE) Transportation Equity Act of 2005 that
authorized use of federal highway grants to states for activities that control invasive
weeds. The Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act (Public Law 108-412, 30
Oct 2004) directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program that provides
assistance to eligible weed management entities for control and eradication of nox-
ious weeds on both public and private land. These entities can include Indian tribes,
states, local governments, specially created districts, or private organizations that
were created to control or eradicate weeds and/or have demonstrated expertise and
experience in weed management or education.
Not only is it federal policy to provide funds to other entities that have weed
management responsibilities, but federal land management agencies were directed
by a presidential order ( Executive Order 13148 Section 601(a), April 21, 2000,
“ Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management ”)
to use relevant programs on their own lands to prevent invasive species introduc-
tions, detect and respond rapidly to new infestations, monitor invasive species popu-
lations, restore native species in invaded ecosystems, conduct research on invasive
species, and promote public education about them. This is particularly important for
the management of B. tectorum , which has invaded tens of millions of acres of fed-
eral land, especially those managed by the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) , a
US Department of Interior (USDI) agency. Within USDI, every bureau has a respon-
sibility for managing invasive species. The US Geological Survey conducts and
supports research on invasive species, including Bromus species. The Bureau of
Indian Affairs supports tribal government efforts. The BLM, National Park Service,
Bureau of Reclamation, and US Fish and Wildlife Service all maintain invasive spe-
cies management programs and also partner with states, tribes, and the private sec-
tor to support prevention and control efforts. Similarly, the Forest Service, an agency
of the US Department of Agriculture, maintains its own detection, monitoring,
control, eradication, education, and research programs while entering into partner-
ships with other entities. Also, the Department of Defense maintains an environ-
mental branch that engages in invasive species control on military installations. All
of these agencies take action to reduce the spread and infl uence of invasive annual
grasses, especially B. tectorum.
One of the most common policy mechanism s to direct attention toward invasive
plants in the USA is to declare a species as a noxious weed , defi ned in the Plant
Protection Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–224, 20 Jun 2000) as “any plant or plant
M.W. Brunson and H. Kartchner