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Jacob Hegeman
State
Liaison, APHIS
Legislative
and Public Affiars
202-720-6794
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U.S. exports of agricultural products grew 28 percent in 2008 to a record level of $115 billion. This growth was driven by big increases in exports to Mexico, Japan, China and other major markets. Canada and Mexico remain the two biggest markets for U.S. agricultural exports, followed by Japan, China and the European Union. Grains and oilseeds were among the fastest growing exports in 2008 and together accounted for more than 40 percent of total agricultural exports last year. Grain exports jumped from $21.1 billion in 2007 to $28.9 billion in 2008 and oilseeds increased from $12.5 billion in 2007 to $18.4 billion in 2008. Exports of meat and fruits and vegetables also saw increases although the amounts were more modest. Fruit and vegetable exports rose to $14 billion in 2008, an increase of $2 billion over the previous year while meat exports increased by more than $3 billion in 2008 to total $11.7 billion. Several factors contributed to last year’s record agricultural exports including a weak dollar, and drought and production problems in other parts of the world. U.S. producers also benefitted from strong economic growth in many parts of the world, especially Asia. This growth, however, is not expected to continue in 2009. The stronger dollar coupled with recession in many parts of the world could lead to a decrease in agricultural exports. Table 1: U.S. Total Agricultural Exports by Country
APHIS recently completed a multi-State radio tour as part of a new Agency campaign to protect the U.S. citrus industry against the spread of citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid. The purpose of the tour, which took place February 12th and 19th, was to increase public awareness of citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid as well as the dangers associated with moving citrus plants/products from quarantined areas. The tour included Voice of America, an international radio station, and local radio stations in Georgia and Nebraska. At each stop, Pat Gomes, National Coordinator of the Citrus Health Response Program, spoke to the stations regarding key topics, such as the warning signs and symptoms of citrus greening disease, what APHIS is doing to prevent the spread of the disease and what consumers can do to help. In the United States alone, the interviews were distributed to 197 stations and the total listening audience was just over 9.5 million listeners as determined by Arbitron, the media and marketing research firm. The tour also plans to hit radio stations in California and Texas in March. As a result of the campaign, APHIS hopes that citizens who intend to buy or sell citrus in affected States know about the risks associated with moving citrus into uninfected areas. The campaign’s primary target States include Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. For more information on APHIS’ campaign to stop the spread of citrus greening, visit http://www.saveourcitrus.org/.
APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine program (PPQ) safeguards American agriculture and natural resources from the risks associated with the entry, establishment, or spread of animal and plant pests and noxious weeds. While some of the potential pathways for these pests are ones we encounter daily- such as imported fruits and vegetables- others, like firewood, are less obvious. Firewood is an ideal pathway for the transfer of invasive forest pests like the emerald ash borer (EAB) and Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). Both EAB and ALB are wood-boring insects native to Asia than can travel unharmed within cut and split logs- often winding up hundreds of miles from where they originated. The results of this unintentional movement can be devastating to hardwood forest ecosystems as both pests typically cause mortality in the trees they infest. Making matters more difficult is the means by which firewood is transported. While identifying large commercial operations is feasible, it is nearly impossible to identify individual motorists that may be unintentionally transporting these pests as they take firewood on camping trips. Educational campaigns and firewood “blitzes” take place regularly to help control these non-commercial movements, but cannot be 100 percent effective. Currently, EAB and ALB are regulated by APHIS through the use of quarantines that prohibit the movement of regulated articles—including firewood—out of quarantine areas. Additionally, to help control the movement of ALB and EAB into the U.S. from Canada, in 2008, PPQ issued a Federal Order requiring all firewood entering the U.S. from Canada to be heat treated to a minimum of 71.1 degrees Centigrade for 75 minutes. This requirement has been demonstrated to be an effective means of killing both EAB and ALB. An additional benefit of this process is that the heat treatment dries the wood, allowing it to burn hotter and more cleanly. In addition to these pest and location specific requirements, PPQ is continuing discussions with State regulatory partners about how a comprehensive firewood strategy to better protect against invasive forest pests might work. It is expected that more details on this will emerge later this year as the dialogue progresses. Among the items this dialogue is working to address are:
If you have questions about invasive pests in firewood in your State, please contact PPQ’s EAB and ALB program coordinators at the links below. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/asian_lhb/index.shtml
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) doesn’t have a catchy nickname to help it make headlines, but public awareness of the serious fish disease is critical to help slow its spread in North America. As part of an ongoing VHS outreach campaign, APHIS recently teamed up with Iowa State University to launch a new Web site designed to educate boaters, anglers, aquaculture producers and bait fish dealers about the serious nature of the disease. The site, which is funded by APHIS, was designed by the Center for Food Security and Public Health at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Visitors who go to http://www.focusonfishhealth.org can learn more about VHS, its symptoms, what species are affected, how the disease is spread and where it’s currently found in North America. The site also provides a timeline that shows just how quickly the disease has spread in North America. The fish health Web site includes a map of the United States and visitors can click on their State to find out whether the disease has been detected and if so what regulations are in place to prevent its spread. The Web site also serves as a clearing house for VHS resources. Extension specialists, educators and researchers can view information developed by their colleagues and download the latest information about VHS. In the future, based on stakeholder input and support, as well as available funding, the site could offer information on other aspects of fish health. States are welcome to add the www.focusonfishhealth.org link to their own Web sites. For additional information about the VHS outreach campaign, contact Madelaine Fletcher at 301-734-6125 or email her at madelaine.fletcher@aphis.usda.gov.
On March 3, APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS) program held a meeting with leadership from the National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials (NASAHO) and the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) to discuss the organization’s vision for the year 2015. Known as VS 2015, the strategic vision was developed by the VS Management Team to guide the organization in making holistic changes that will better position it to meet animal health needs in the 21st century. Specifically, VS 2015 focuses on the need to place greater emphasis on disease, prevention preparedness, detection and early response; an expanded veterinary health mission that is responsive not only to issues that impact animal agriculture but also to issues impacting public health that relate to animal populations of any kind; and an expanded portfolio of interstate and international certification services to meet the growing customer demand. While VS has developed the vision, States and stakeholders will be instrumental in providing input that will help determine the roadmap for implementation. At the March meeting, USAHA and NASAHO leaders worked with VS to identify several initiatives that would allow VS to begin making organizational changes in keeping with the VS 2015 vision. USAHA and NASAHO also provided guidance to VS regarding how to best communicate with States about the VS 2015 vision and involve State animal health officials in future discussions. VS 2015 is still in its infancy, but the March meeting was a critical step forward in that it provided the opportunity to educate State leaders about the vision while also establishing confidence in the process for moving forward. In the coming months, VS plans to share concept papers that further define the VS 2015 priorities and establish work groups to generate discussion and gather input around those topics. For more information about VS 2015, please contact Nora Wineland at 970-494-7230 or email her at nora.e.wineland@aphis.usda.gov.
APHIS’ Wildlife Services (WS) program is responsible for providing leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts that impact human health and safety, agriculture, property, and natural resources. One of WS’ primary agricultural wildlife management priorities is the protection of livestock from predation. Historically, WS has assisted farmers, ranchers, hobby operators, and land managers with the management of wildlife predation on livestock through recommendations and direct application of a variety of wildlife management methods including animal husbandry, habitat alterations, exclusion, and predator damage management. These measures have been used primarily to correct and prevent coyotes from preying on goats, sheep and cows; however other predator species have been occasionally targeted. In order to optimize the knowledge and use of a wide range of methods, especially further incorporating nonlethal methods such as guard animals, WS is investing in a new component to this strategy. In agreement with the livestock industry’s desire for greater assistance in broadening the use of a range of wildlife management practices (including both lethal and nonlethal methods), WS is creating and dedicating a new Resource Management Specialist position in its Fort Collins, Colorado Regional Office. The Resource Management Specialist will be an additional resource for State partners and industry stakeholders and will be knowledgeable about guard animals and the integration of many methods and approaches to protecting livestock from predators. While this position will be located in Colorado, it will be a nationally available resource. The Resource Management Specialist will work closely with WS State Directors to coordinate communications with agricultural producers and guarantee that program delivery is responsive and professional. Initially, the position is expected to focus on wildlife-livestock issues, but over time will expand to other wildlife management areas including integrated approaches for bird and beaver damage management, among others. The start time for the new position is expected to be late spring and will be announced on the WS Web site. For more information on WS’ wildlife damage management activities, please see:
While other APHIS programs have been granted statutory authority to implement and enforce regulations in their respective program areas, WS operates under a different authority. Under 7 U.S.C. 426-426b, WS is a cooperative program, meaning it resolves wildlife issues in cooperation with other agencies and cooperators. WS utilizes an integrated wildlife damage management (IWDM) approach to resolve wildlife conflicts. The IWDM approach requires that WS establish and maintain close cooperative relationships with other Federal, State and local agencies as well as private entities. WS has signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with numerous Federal and State agencies. These MOUs establish the framework governing WS activities by defining responsibilities and establishing procedures for cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Annually, about 100,000 concerns are addressed through technical or advisory assistance. This work includes field operations, such as oral rabies vaccination distribution, wildlife disease surveillance and monitoring, predation damage management, mitigation of wildlife hazards at airports, as well as control methods development. The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) is the research and scientific arm of the WS program. NWRC develops methods and information to address human-wildlife conflicts. WS field specialists and NWRC researchers work in collaboration to ensure that WS will continue to resolve wildlife conflicts effectively, humanely, and in a socially responsible manner. Wildlife damage to U.S. agriculture alone is estimated at $944 million annually. WS continues to work to ensure efficient wildlife conflict management and minimize wildlife damage. For more information on WS, visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/.
All Agency vacancies are posted on the APHIS Web site. To view the entire list of APHIS vacancies go to www.aphis.usda.gov. Under Related Topics click on Find a Job in APHIS. The positions highlighted below are for relevant positions that are at the GS-13 level and above. Position: Supervisory VMO (Supervisory Animal Care Specialist) Position: Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (Program Manager) Position: Mathematical Statistician Position: National Science Program Leader (Plant Pathogens and Weeds) Position: Assistant Deputy Administrator Position: Interdisciplinary Supervisory VMO/Microbiologist Position: Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer |
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