Congress utilizes legislation titled the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to authorize and guide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Since WRDA 1986, Congress often has considered a WRDA biennially. The most recent WRDA was passed in 2022 as part of an omnibus appropriations and authorizations act (PL 117-263). The WRDA not only authorizes research and projects, but also provides policy direction to the USACE.

The WRDA has several important provisions for invasive species management including the aquatic plant control program, watercraft inspection and decontamination, zebra and quagga monitoring, and rapid response. The WRDA has successfully been used to provide much needed resources for research, prevention, control, and management of invasive species across the country.

Agenda:

1. Welcome – Elizabeth Brown and Christie Trifone Millhouse, NAISMA 
2. An overview of the Water Resources Development Act – Jeremy Crossland, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
3. History and current status of the Columbia River Basin Program – Stephen Phillips, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
4. The Benefits and Challenges of WRDA to the State of Montana’s AIS Program – Tom Woolf, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
5. Implementing the 2018 and 2020 WRDA authorizations to expand to new basins – Jonas Grundman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
6. Highlights of research and management of aquatic invasive plants supported by WRDA – Dr. Mark Heilman, Past President of the Aquatic Plant Management Society
7. Panel Q & A