Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/2252

 118 STAT. 2222 PUBLIC LAW 108–384—OCT. 30, 2004 (8) TERRITORIAL.—The term ‘‘territorial’’, when used to refer to a government, means the Government of Guam, the Govern ment of American Samoa, and the Government of the Common wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as autonomous agencies and instrumentalities of such a government. (9) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘‘United States’’, when used in the geographic sense, means the several States, the District of Colombia, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, any other possession of the United States, and any waters within the jurisdiction of the United States. SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NEED FOR IMPROVED AND BETTER COORDINATED FEDERAL POLICY FOR BROWN TREE SNAKE INTRODUCTION, CONTROL, AND ERADI CATION. It is the sense of Congress that there exists a need for improved and better coordinated control, interdiction, research, and eradi cation of the brown tree snake on the part of the United States and other interested parties. SEC. 4. BROWN TREE SNAKE CONTROL, INTERDICTION, RESEARCH AND ERADICATION. (a) FUNDING AUTHORITY.—Subject to the availability of appro priations to carry out this section, the Secretaries shall provide funds to support brown tree snake control, interdiction, research, and eradication efforts carried out by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, other Federal agencies, States, territorial governments, local governments, and private sector enti ties. Funds may be provided through grants, contracts, reimbursable agreements, or other legal mechanisms available to the Secretaries for the transfer of Federal funds. (b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Brown tree snake control, inter diction, research, and eradication efforts authorized by this section shall include at a minimum the following: (1) Expansion of science based eradication and control pro grams in Guam to reduce the undesirable impact of the brown tree snake in Guam and reduce the risk of the introduction or spread of any brown tree snake to areas in the United States and the Freely Associated States in which the brown tree snake is not established. (2) Expansion of interagency and intergovernmental rapid response teams in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, and the Freely Associated States to assist the governments of such areas with detecting the brown tree snake and incipient brown tree snake populations. (3) Expansion of efforts to protect and restore native wild life in Guam or elsewhere in the United States damaged by the brown tree snake. (4) Establishment and sustained funding for an Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Oper ations Program State Office located in Hawaii dedicated to vertebrate pest management in Hawaii and United States Pacific territories and possessions. Concurrently, the Animal 7 USC 8503. 7 USC 8502.

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