Aquatic invasive plants: control and eradication.

Existing law designates the Division of Boating and Waterways as the lead agency of the state for the purpose of cooperating with agencies of the United States and other public agencies in controlling certain invasive plants in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, its tributaries, and the marsh, and authorizes the division to furnish money, services, equipment, and other property for the control of those invasive plants. This bill would additionally designate the division as the lead agency of the state for the purpose of cooperating with other state, local, and federal agencies in identifying, detecting, controlling, and administering programs to manage invasive aquatic plants, as defined, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, its tributaries, and the Suisun Marsh. The bill would authorize the division, in consultation with appropriate state, local, and federal agencies, and upon concurrence from the Department of Fish and Wildlife following the completion of a specified assessment described in the bill, to take such action it determines is necessary to implement control and, when feasible, eradication measures for those invasive aquatic plants. This bill would require the division to regularly consult with the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of California, and other members of the scientific and research communities, and other state agencies with authority over the control of invasive aquatic plants, to determine which species of those plants should be given the highest priority for management and to determine the best control, and, when feasible, eradication measures. The bill would also require the division, after consulting with those entities, if it identifies a species of aquatic plant that may be invasive and need to be controlled or eradicated, to notify the Department of Fish and Wildlife of the potential threat from that aquatic plant. The bill would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife, after receipt of that notice, in consultation with other appropriate local, state, and federal agencies, to conduct a risk assessment of that aquatic plant species to determine whether the plant species presents a threat to the environment, economy, or human health, as determined after consideration of specified factors. The bill would require the risk assessment to specify whether the aquatic plant under consideration has been determined to be an invasive aquatic plant. The bill would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife, within 60 days after completing that assessment, to report its findings to the division so that the division may take any necessary action to control and, when feasible, eradicate an invasive aquatic plant, as authorized under the bill.