Guam to get over $3M to control invasive brown tree snake

HAGATNA, Guam — Guam will get more than $3 million in grant money to suppress and control an invasive brown tree snake, federal officials said.

U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Douglas W. Domenech said the money will also support prevention, detection and rapid response in Hawaii and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Pacific Daily News reported.

About $1.2 million will be spent on control in rapid response and research activities, $1.7 million will be spent on interdiction and less than $500,000 will be used for prevention through coordination and outreach, federal officials said.

The country hopes to develop and improve suppression methods and potentially eradicate the snake, Domenech said.

Controlling the brown tree snake and other invasive species in the region “is important for the protection of natural resources and the livelihood of insular area communities,” Domenech said.

The snake, which is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, was accidentally introduced to Guam after World War II. The invasive species has had a devastating impact on the island’s native bird populations and can crawl into electrical transformers and cause blackouts.

“The brown tree snake is testament to the havoc invasive species can wreak, particularly on islands. We have seen almost a dozen native bird and reptile species totally wiped out on Guam, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith said. “It is vital we do everything we can to stop this destructive snake from becoming established elsewhere.”

The Office of the Assistant Secretary Insular and International Affairs includes the Office of Insular Affairs, which carries out its responsibilities for multiple U.S. territories including Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

The Office of Insular Affairs has provided more than $12 million for the Brown Tree Snake Control program over the past four years.