Heryford, W. (2019). Officials work to eradicate invasive species from California’s Central Valley [Video]. Los Banos, Merced: KCRA.

 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been capturing hundreds of invasive nutria, a native rodent of South America, in order to eradicate the population. The presence of Nutria affects waterways, agriculture, and flooding controls. The department’s program has been centered around Merced county, where the population and its impacts are the largest. Democratic Representative Josh Harder recently visited the department’s ‘ground zero’ headquarters to learn about the program. Harder is seeking increased funding for the program, as the consequences of the invasive species are burdening private farmers, and therefore affecting the entire Californian population and agricultural industry.

The news clip highlights how beneficial limiting and controlling invasive species is to all people. Since the explosion of the Nutria population affects the agricultural industry, it also negatively affects the entirety of the population, even beyond California. As Harder states, the issue of invasive species is a bipartisan issue that benefits everyone to tackle and solve. From farmers, to landowners, to average Californian consumers, the spread of nutria is detrimental to the daily lives of all Californians.