Uncle Sam is a symbol of the constant vigilance and willingness to fight we must never forget about if we are to preserve the freedoms we so cherish. The most recent domestic danger to our American way of life is the latest power-grab concoction of the environmentalists, bureaucrats, and biology professors; they call it Invasive Species. This mishmash of pseudo-science masquerading as reality is intended to place more (if not most of the remaining) state Constitutional authority over plants and animals in the hands of Federal bureaucrats. They have been trying to do this for several years now. There are several bills and proposed bills before Congress and in Congressional drawers that intend to grant the Federal government increased authority over the majority of plants and animals remaining under state jurisdiction.

The Federal government has assumed former state jurisdiction over migratory birds, endangered species, animal welfare, and certain marine mammals over the past 80 years. The Federal government today regulates most aspects of these aforementioned plants and animals in our daily lives. The Constitutional mandates that limited the Federal government to controlling importation of and interstate commerce in plants and animals have been expanded to thousands of times the authorities originally intended under our Constitution. The most recent planned expansion is to grant the Federal government authority over all Invasive Species (a term that can be interpreted so broadly that most plants and animals remaining under state authority can be declared under the primary authority of Federal agencies.)

This Invasive business began 20 years ago when the environmentalists, Federal bureaucrats, and University professors saw what a success they were having with declaring endangered species, marine mammals, migratory birds, and animal welfare as strictly Federal responsibilities. The success for environmentalists was enacting their radical agendas to stop the use and enjoyment of all natural resources and domestic plants and animals. The success for the bureaucrats was greater budgets, more authority, higher salaries, and larger retirements. The professors saw vastly increased grants, larger staffs, increased tenure potentials, and prestige and publicity for themselves and their pursuits. Additionally, Federal politicians reaped a bonus of votes every voting cycle from voters who weren't directly affected by the latest loss of property or freedoms and who thought it all sounded like a good idea. Today, overrated tales of "Invasive" plants and animals are cleverly interwoven with nonsense about how "right" or "proper" the plants and animals of 1492 or 1776 or 1900 were for a nation today that differs from those dates like our Constitution differs from a Roman Emperors notion of the value of all members of their barbaric society. You are expected to cheer (with your pocketbook and your vote) when the Federal government offers to make war on "Invasives" and "save" "Native Ecosystems" or "Pre-Columbian Ecosystems" or "Keystone Species" or "Indicator Species" or "Species of Concern" or any of a number of such terms of budget art intended to grow Federal authority.

It all started 20 years ago on Federal properties. No longer would the agencies or politicians running for reelection recognize that National Forests were purchased for recreation or logging or grazing. Similarly National Wildlife refuges were being redescribed not as place to raise, feed' or winter waterfowl but rather as "Pre-Columbian Ecosystems." National Parks and the BLM also further restricted their lands to stop uses by people and limit access through entrance fees and road closures. Budget and personnel and grant increases were almost always a sure thing as these "new" needs were used to request Federal budget increases. Having been spectacularly successful to date, the next step is telling anyone who receives any Federal money that they should get rid on any Non-Native (i.e. Invasive) species and work to restore "Native Species." Never mind that it is an impossible task and that 100 times the bureaucrats and budget dollars we spend today could work for 100 years and still not make a dent in the Non-native species. Never mind that most such species have as many "good" traits as well as "bad." Never mind that nearly al the few truly "bad" ones can be controlled or eradicated under present laws (but not present herbicide and pesticide regulations.) That however is what makes the whole Invasive Species scam a bureaucrats dream.

Invasive is a slippery term. It can mean something not "here" (state, county, Rockies, plains, coast, sand dunes, etc.) in 1492 or 1776 or 1900 or whenever? It can mean the brown trout brought from Europe for fishing or the turkey introduced by the state fish and wildlife agency in 1978. It can mean the exotic wildlife from Africa enclosed on a Texas ranch or Charlie that golden retriever in your backyard. It can be a salt-cedar tree preferred as a nest site for endangered flycatcher birds or a Lombardy poplar planted as a windbreak in arid soils where other trees won't grow. It can be the striped bass transplanted from the Atlantic coast to California waters or the zebra mussels that clarified Lake Erie's waters and helped recover a valuable sport and commercial fishery. Think of the power this term will give the environmental groups that have ravaged the nation so badly thus far. Think of what bureaucrats think about as they tout this dream that can make them salivate. Think of the politician telling you he or she "saved" this or that until they start taking your dog or doing away with your fishing (when they become quiet.) Think of the professors speaking in ponderous tones before Congressional Committees or a Judge about the "dangers" of water lilies in waterways to baby fish or female painted turtles. I can't write anymore here. It gets too depressing.

So, what can you do TO FIGHT INVASIVE SPECIES? Tell whoever uses that term that you believe in controlling or eradicating HARMFUL SPECIES. Tell them that we should use pesticides and herbicides whenever a Harmful Plant threatens. What is harmful? Why anything that threatens the economic or human health interests of a community or state (the government levels responsible for everything except the importation and interstate commerce of plants and animals.)

When someone tells you we "need" to protect "Native Species" or "Native Ecosystems," tell them you believe in protecting and conserving BENEFICIAL SPECIES and "BENEFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS". Tell them Beneficial plants and animals either do not threaten economic or human health interests of communities or states or they contribute good and favorable things to families, communities and states. When these three things are healthy, the United States of America is healthy.

If they ask, "what about 'environmental' harm," tell them that much of that lies in the eye of the beholder and we need to be very careful about describing something as harmful when the result of it's presence in the environment benefits some things while harming others. Always insist that the Federal government get no more authority in this area. They should limit themselves to their Constitutional role and control imports and interstate commerce. Anything else should remain under state authority and be cooperative under state leadership for plants and animals in each state.

So head on down and ENLIST! We need you to call or write politicians trying to get on the Invasive Species bandwagon. We need you to build fires under Governors and state legislators to stand up for the rights and responsibilities they continue to fork over to Federal bureaucracies. We need you to tell neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family about what is happening. We need you to call your school and your school board when Invasive Species propaganda is spouted in the schools. Most of all we need YOU to understand what is happening and do what you can to work to save the most successful freedom-preserving government in the history of man.

If you can't do it, either state governments will whither from our scene or we will have to try and hire foreign contractors to do it and we all know what happened to Rome when they tried that. 

Jim Beers 26 April 2004