S 893
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 893
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial
assistance to the State of Louisiana for a pilot program to develop
measures to eradicate or control feral swine and to assess and restore
wetlands damaged by feral swine.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 5, 2011
Ms. LANDRIEU introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial
assistance to the State of Louisiana for a pilot program to develop
measures to eradicate or control feral swine and to assess and restore
wetlands damaged by feral swine.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot
Program Act of 2011'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings- Congress finds that--
(1) wetlands in Louisiana provide substantial cultural, economic,
and ecological benefits to the United States and is essential to protecting
coastal communities from flooding;
(2) nonnative invasive feral swine populations in coastal Louisiana
are increasing and severely impacting wetlands, especially acreages
recovering from the negative impacts of nutria herbivory;
(3) Louisiana State University researchers have determined that feral
swine damage to coastal wetlands is very similar to nutria damage
but is more severe and may exceed the approximately 105,000 acres
previously impacted by nutria; and
(4) methodologies developed for the State of Louisiana under the Coastwide
Nutria Control Program established under the Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 3951 et seq.) may provide
the basis for the effective control and restoration of wetlands damage
caused by feral swine.
(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to provide financial assistance to the State of Louisiana
for a pilot program to develop measures to eradicate or control feral
swine and to assess and restore wetlands damaged by feral swine.
SEC. 3. FERAL SWINE ERADICATION AND CONTROL PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General- Subject to the availability of appropriations under
subsection (e), the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section
as the `Secretary') may provide financial assistance to the State of
Louisiana to pay the Federal share of the cost of carrying out a pilot
program--
(1) to study and assess the nature and extent of damage to wetlands
in the State caused by feral swine;
(2) to develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine in the
State that may also be used in other States; and
(3) to develop methods to restore wetlands damaged by feral swine.
(b) Coordination- In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
ensure that the pilot program consider and use, as appropriate, the
knowledge and expertise gained through the activities carried out under--
(1) the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 3951 et seq.); and
(2) the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-16;
117 Stat. 621).
(1) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the costs of the pilot program
under this section may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of
carrying out the pilot program.
(2) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS- The non-Federal share of the costs of the
pilot program may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions
of materials or services.
(d) Limitation on Administrative Expenses- Not more than 10 percent
of financial assistance provided by the Secretary under this section
may be used for administrative expenses.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary to carry out this section such sums as are necessary
for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.
END
