ANS Control Screening Comment Period and Updated List of ANS of Concern – CAWS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today released the following:

ANS Controls Screening

As part of our continuing study, USACE has screened the ANS Controls identified in the Inventory of Available Controls for Aquatic Nuisance Species of Concern – Chicago Area Waterway System (ANS Control Paper) and removed certain controls from further consideration by GLMRIS. USACE is requesting comments regarding the ANS Controls Screening by February 21, 2013. Detailed information about the screening and information for providing comments can be found on the ANS Control Screening page.

Species of Concern

Forty (40) aquatic nuisance species were originally identified in the ANS White Paper as ANS of Concern for GLMRIS Focus Area 1 (CAWS). As announced in a September 23, 2011 GLMRIS Web cast, the New Zealand Mudsnail is found in both basins and therefore, was removed from the list of ANS of Concern. While researching species in support of the detailed baseline risk assessment activities for GLMRIS, USACE removed five additional ANS of Concern – CAWS that are established in both the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins: alewife, European amphipod, cylindrical algae, tubificid worm, and spiny waterflea. Species removed from the list of ANS of Concern – CAWS will not be subject to further study in GLMRIS. Information about the list of species of concern is available on the Aquatic Nuisance Species page.

If you have any questions about these revisions or any other element of GLMRIS, please contact the GLMRIS team at [email protected].