Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
'Nellie' the Stuffed Swamp Rat Sells Congress on Wiping Out Nutria
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 5 years ago on
February 27, 2020

Share

Rep. Josh Harder brought a stuffed swamp rat nicknamed “Nellie” to the congressional floor Wednesday.
And, the Turlock Democrat’s show-and-tell presentation worked to perfection.
The House, on a voice vote, passed Harder’s legislation to make $12 million available each year until 2025 to battle an invasion of nutria.
“Especially on agriculture issues, the biggest problem we have in Congress is getting awareness and understanding, so Nellie has been a great spokesperson,” Harder told The Modesto Bee. “Having something people can see and look at and know the scale of the problem is hugely helpful.”

Big Nutria Populations in Louisiana, California

Rep. Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican, co-sponsored the legislation, About a dozen states are battling the rapidly reproducing voracious rodents.
“Nearly 4.5 million people live in Louisiana, yet we have an estimated 20 million nutria,” Graves said.
Louisiana recently upped the bounty for hunters who kill nutria from $5 to $6. The webbed-toed, buck-toothed rodents are in between the size of muskrats and beavers and are known for nibbling on tree roots, causing erosion to land and marshes.

California Allocated $10 Million Last Year

California allocated $10 million in state money in 2019 to corral the burgeoning nutria population in the Central Valley. Officials used the funding for a team of 40 people dedicated to eradicating the rodents. Nearly 1,000 nutria have been killed since they were first spotted in Merced County two years ago.
Nutria are native to South America and came to the United States in the 20th century. Their fur was valued for coats and hats but a decline in the fur industry led to the release of nutria into the wild.
This bill does not grant the money but authorizes its use for nutria eradication, as well as wetlands and farmland restoration when Congress passes a budget.
Harder said he’s hopeful the money would be available later this year or in 2021.
The bill’s other co-sponsors were Reps. Jim Costa (D-Fresno), John Garamendi (D-Fairfield), TJ Cox (D-Fresno), Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Ami Bera (D-Sacramento), and Jimmy Panetta (D-Salinas).

Watch: Rep. Harder Explains Swamp Rat Dangers

DON'T MISS

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Ejected From Car Dies Off McKinley Avenue

DON'T MISS

‘Leave It the Way It Is’: Off-Roaders, Hikers React to Proposal to Change 1.4M Acres of Sierra Forest

DON'T MISS

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

DON'T MISS

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

DON'T MISS

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

DON'T MISS

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

DON'T MISS

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

DON'T MISS

Some Republican-Led States Refuse to Let Justice Department Monitors Into Polling Places

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal NW Apartment Shooting

UP NEXT

‘Leave It the Way It Is’: Off-Roaders, Hikers React to Proposal to Change 1.4M Acres of Sierra Forest

UP NEXT

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

UP NEXT

Sanger Men Arrested in Connection with Slingshot Vandalism Spree at Businesses

UP NEXT

What Is Sierra Unified’s Plan to Boost Lagging Student Achievement?

UP NEXT

Big Spenders: These Companies Are Giving the Most to California Legislative Candidates

UP NEXT

Fresno State Bulldogs Stumble in Fourth Quarter, Suffer Narrow Loss to Hawai’i

UP NEXT

Challengers Seek Seats on Tulare County Irrigation District Boards

UP NEXT

Shy Pup Finds Hope with Foster Family, Evasion from Euthanasia

UP NEXT

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

4 hours ago

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

4 hours ago

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

4 hours ago

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

5 hours ago

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

5 hours ago

Some Republican-Led States Refuse to Let Justice Department Monitors Into Polling Places

5 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal NW Apartment Shooting

5 hours ago

Fresno Murder Suspect Stopped in Las Vegas, Others Wanted

6 hours ago

Trump’s Crowds Are Dwindling as His Campaign Winds Down

6 hours ago

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

7 hours ago

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

A driver suspected of being under the influence crashed into a California Highway Patrol car early Sunday, officials said. Officers were inv...

1 hour ago

A driver suspected of DUI crashed into a parked California Highway Patrol car at a fatal crash scene in Fresno County, sustaining minor injuries and later being cited. (Fresno County SO)
1 hour ago

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

fresno
2 hours ago

Fresno Man Ejected From Car Dies Off McKinley Avenue

2 hours ago

‘Leave It the Way It Is’: Off-Roaders, Hikers React to Proposal to Change 1.4M Acres of Sierra Forest

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP/Ashley Landis)
4 hours ago

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

Voters cast their ballots at Desert Breeze Community Center in Las Vegas during the last day of in-person early voting in Nevada on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. Nearly 75 million people have cast early ballots, making their voices heard amid worry about the process, the outcome and democracy itself. (Bridget Bennett/The New York Times)
4 hours ago

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

4 hours ago

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

5 hours ago

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

5 hours ago

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

Search

Send this to a friend