SAIPAN – Governor David M. Apatang has ordered emergency biosecurity rules requiring that vessels and cargo bound for the Commonwealth be inspected for brown treesnakes before they leave Guam, and directed Customs to refuse entry to or hold any shipment that arrives without proof of that inspection.
Executive Order 2026-016, signed August 20, cites two brown treesnakes observed inland on Rota in July 2026 and the sharp increase in cargo shipped from Guam since Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi as the reasons for acting on an emergency basis. The snake is established on Guam but not in the Commonwealth, and the order says its introduction would cause severe and irreversible harm to native wildlife, including species listed under the Endangered Species Act, and to public infrastructure and safety.
The order directs the Department of Lands and Natural Resources to promptly amend its brown treesnake regulations, codified at NMIAC Chapter 85-100, on an emergency basis under the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows regulations to take effect on fewer than 30 days’ notice on a written finding of imminent peril to the public welfare. The amendment will require that vessels and cargo departing Guam be inspected by a qualified inspection authority before departure and arrive with documentation of that inspection. The pre-departure inspection is in addition to, and does not replace, inspection by the Division of Fish and Wildlife at the port of entry.
The Department of Finance, through the Division of Customs and Quarantine, is directed to verify the documentation at all ports of entry, fold it into vessel manifest and cargo tracking, and refuse entry to or hold any vessel or cargo from Guam that arrives without it.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife Brown Treesnake Section will continue to inspect arriving vessels and cargo, provide technical support on identification, inspection standards and rapid response, and coordinate the response to any detection within the Commonwealth. Both departments are directed to work with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on recognizing inspection certificates and to enter into a memorandum of understanding as needed.
The Secretary of Lands and Natural Resources is named lead coordinating official and must report to the Governor on implementation within 30 days. The order took effect on signing.
The order states that the principal way brown treesnakes reach snake-free islands is as stowaways in outbound cargo and conveyances from Guam. The species was accidentally introduced to Guam after World War II and eliminated most of that island’s native forest birds. Anyone who sees a snake anywhere in the Commonwealth is asked to call 670-28-SNAKE (287-6253).
