WASHINGTON -- The House on Monday approved a bill that would grant the National Park Service broader authority to combat invasive species like the quagga mussels that have migrated to Southern Nevada.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., would authorize the agency to partner with states, landowners, contractors and local governments to battle the spread of pests outside park borders.
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"Invasive animal and plant species know no boundaries," Porter said during a short debate before the bill was passed, 390 to 10.
The bill allows the National Park Service to go on the offensive when dealing with invasive species, rather than waiting for them to spread to park lands, he said.
Current law limits the service to spend its budget only on programs within park borders, and is not allowed to take actions that would have outside ramifications.
Officials have said this is hindering the park service from mounting broad attacks on invasive species like the quagga mussel and also tamarisk trees that drain groundwater and crowd out native vegetation on shorelines.
Quagga mussels, first discovered in Lake Mead in January, since have turned up in Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu and the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery.
Experts said the mussels, which probably spread to the Southwest from the Great Lakes, can disturb the food chain by robbing aquatic ecosystems of nutrients and plankton. The mussels can also strangle water pipelines and marine equipment.
In 2005, before the discovery of quagga mussels in the Southwest, Porter introduced similar legislation in response to the spread of invasive tamarisk at Lake Mead and tributaries.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee approved a similar bill on Feb. 15.
