|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Jacob Hegeman
State
Liaison, APHIS
Legislative
and Public Affiars
202-720-6794
|
In late August and early September, communities near the Los Angeles National Forest were threatened by a large wildfire that forced the evacuation of thousands of people and their pets as well as hundreds of exotic and domestic animals regulated by APHIS’ Animal Care (AC) program. While firefighters struggled to contain the blaze known as the Station Fire, the AC team in California worked around the clock to facilitate adequate communication between licensees and local and State authorities, ensure that regulated facilities were prepared to evacuate their animals, and confirm that their emergency plans were sound. To date, the fire has consumed more than 160,000 acres and although it is 98 percent contained, the fire is still not out. Because of the robust film industry and the presence of a many animal sanctuaries in California, AC regulates a high concentration of licensed exhibitors, trainers, and sanctuaries with elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, lions, ligers, bears, wolves, chimpanzees, and numerous other animals. In addition, AC regulates a significant number of commercial pet kennels in the area. The fire created a logistical nightmare for numerous facilities forced to evacuate their exotic and domestic animals. As a result, AC's presence was requested at the Regional State Emergency Operations Center and AC hosted a daily conference call between California and AC local and Regional personnel to address emerging issues. For example, one nonprofit sanctuary with up to 400 animals lacked the necessary equipment for transporting all their animals. AC was able to facilitate availability of cages and other resources through contacts as far away as Las Vegas. In addition, the L.A. Zoo provided support by sheltering 45 chimpanzees. Another challenge resulted from the fact that several commercial pet facilities in the area are managed by non-English speaking licensees. AC identified translators to help breakdown language barriers and to ensure clear communication between the facilities and local jurisdictional authorities. The evacuation of wild and exotic species was a community effort that included AC, licensed exhibitors, zoos, sanctuaries, and local and State agencies. As a result of these cooperative efforts, no exotic animals were lost in fire. Yet, the Station Fire clearly demonstrated the need for robust contingency planning. During the fire, some animals had to be sedated or anesthetized for movement. This process took valuable time, indicating that many animals need to be trained for emergency transport. The fire also highlighted the need for contingency planning for animal facilities regardless of regulatory requirements. The current regulations under the Animal Welfare Act do not include requirements for emergency plans except for marine mammal licensees. In 2008, however, AC proposed adding a contingency planning requirement to the regulations that would require all licensees to have comprehensive emergency plans so that they’re prepared for natural disasters or other events that could threaten the health and safety of their animals. The proposed regulation is currently under review and the public comments are being evaluated. The lessons learned in the Station Fire clearly illustrate the benefits of being prepared.
In mid-September Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan launched “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” a new initiative to begin a national conversation about developing local and regional food systems and finding ways to support small and mid-sized farms. Ultimately the goal of the initiative is to provide consumers—especially children—with enhanced access to healthy, sustainably grown, local foods and to help farmers improve their livelihoods and develop new business opportunities in their own communities and beyond. Consumer demand for locally grown food in the United States is expected to rise from an estimated $4 billion in 2002 to as much as $7 billion by 2012. USDA wants to ensure that producers are well positioned to take advantage of existing program resources while also helping to breakdown barriers that prevent schools, hospitals and other large institutions from connecting with local producers. By reducing the distance between farmers and the American public, USDA hopes to link consumers with their local producers, all the while increasing awareness of and appreciation for agriculture. Since May, an inter-agency USDA “Know your Farmer, Know Your Food” task force has been working to align existing USDA programs with the needs of local and regional food systems; conducting outreach activities so the linkages are understood; helping communities build local food systems by providing new initiatives; and engaging the American public in a conversation about local and regional agriculture. To help get the word out about this new initiative, USDA launched a new Web site: www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer. In addition to providing more information about the “Know Your Farmer” mission, the Web site directs consumers and producers to new media resources like the USDA blog, Facebook discussions with USDA officials, Twitter feeds, and even YouTube videos where you can watch a message from Secretary Vilsack. The Web site will also feature ideas and stories from the general public about food, agriculture, and local and regional food systems. To submit stories, ideas or videos, email the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” team at knowyourfarmer@usda.gov.
Recognizing the significant threat firewood movement poses to our Nation’s forests, APHIS has joined with its State and Federal partners to form the National Firewood Task Force (NFTF). The purpose of the NFTF is to develop a comprehensive, national strategy to prevent the spread of invasive forest pests on firewood. Firewood movement is viewed by many as a key pathway for the spread of forest pests such as Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle. The issue of firewood movement is complex and involves many stakeholders, ranging from Federal Agencies like APHIS and the United States Forest Service to State Agriculture and Natural Resources Agencies, Firewood Producers, Distributors, Campgrounds, and the general public. Recognizing that a successful strategy will require input from this range of stakeholders, the NFTF is bringing together representatives from APHIS, the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, Tribes, The National Plant Board and the National Association of State Foresters to look at the issue and craft recommendations on how State and Federal officials can move forward on this issue. In particular, the Task Force will be looking at how State and Federal Agencies can best coordinate regulatory, voluntary and outreach efforts on the firewood issue for maximum effect. The Task Force is an outgrowth of a listening session held at the National Plant Board Annual meeting this August. A kickoff meeting was held October 1 and more meetings will be held throughout the fall. Among the immediate priorities of the Task Force are the identification of existing State firewood regulations and the collection of stakeholder input on what a national strategy should look like. The Task Force is expected to begin developing recommendations for State and Federal action on the issue in the first half of 2010.
Public outreach has always been a critical component of APHIS’ efforts to identify and eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), but the Agency is taking communications to the next level by incorporating the latest in Web 2.0 to encourage the public to be on the lookout for and report this distinctive black and white pest. APHIS’ Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA) office recently worked with a contractor to revamp the Agency’s Beetlebusters Web site. The new and improved Web site supports the new theme for the campaign: “It’s as simple as black white: search and report the ALB.” To help visitors accomplish this goal, the Web site includes a place where users can enter their cell phone numbers. The next time they open their cell phones, they can automatically download an image of the ALB along with signs of infestation. People can also use the Web site to report possible sightings of the ALB. “So far none of the reports have resulted in a positive detection, but this is exactly the kind of information we’re looking for citizens to provide,” said Suzanne Bond, LPA’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs. “Many invasive pests are first brought to our attention by observant members of the public. Parts of New York City, parts of Long Island, several towns in central New Jersey and Worcester, MA, just outside of Boston, are currently fighting active ALB infestations. Beetlebuster posters are now prominently displayed throughout subway trains, commuter rail, station platforms and buses in these cities. The posters encourage commuters to text #4494 on their cell phones to get more information about the ALB including pictures of the beetle
On September 29, APHIS hosted the first NASDA-APHIS Forum in Worcester, Massachusetts. Focusing on the issue of invasive forest pests, the Forum brought together more than 60 representatives from State Agriculture and Natural Resource agencies, APHIS and the United States Forest Service. Representatives from 27 states and 1 territory took part in the event.
The NASDA-APHIS Forum concept was announced earlier this year by APHIS Administrator Cindy Smith as a new venue for State and Federal partners to discuss topics of mutual importance in a dedicated setting. For the first Forum, the issue of invasive forest pests was selected based on input received from States over the summer. Worcester was selected as a meeting location because it is at the center of the cooperative Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) eradication project that is currently being carried out by APHIS and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The Forum was kicked off with a welcome from Cindy Smith and featured opening remarks from Massachusetts DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares, APHIS Deputy Administrator for Plant Protection and Quarantine Rebecca Bech, and Rob Mangold, the Director of Forest Health Programs for the U.S. Forest Service. Following an overview of the ALB eradication project, the group spent the remainder of the morning touring the ALB eradication project including stops focusing on wood disposal, tree surveying and replanting, as well as a driving tour of some of the neighborhoods most heavily impacted by ALB. The afternoon session featured a facilitated discussion to identify opportunities for State-Federal collaboration and prioritize key issues underlying the invasive forest pest issue. Recognizing the range of new regulatory scenarios invasive pests present, the meeting provided a chance for agriculture and natural resource officials to discuss where collaboration between State and Federal partners is strong and where it can be enhanced. The top three priority issues identified by the group included the need for enhanced collaboration between State and Federal agencies to increase public awareness about invasive pests, the need for a national firewood strategy and the need for more integrated approaches to pest issues. Two NASDA-APHIS forums are expected on different topics in 2010.
APHIS program managers are continually adjusting their programs to account for changes in social and economic conditions. To help achieve and sustain excellence, however, the Agency must also continually assess and evaluate its performance to ensure the right steps are being taken. To support these aims, APHIS recently established a Program Assessment and Accountability (PAA) unit to comprehensively examine various program areas and activities to determine whether they are cost effective and meeting Agency goals. Before establishing the new unit, APHIS’ Management Team first called for three pilot reviews in order to see if the assessments would yield useful, quantifiable, and action-oriented results. The pilot reviews were a success in providing the information needed to make program improvements, which led to formal implementation of the assessment staff. Erik Anderson was recently hired as the new PAA Chief. “The purpose of this new unit is to improve our program delivery and ensure that we’re being accountable to our many stakeholders, including U.S. tax payers,” Anderson said. “APHIS values excellence and we want to identify vulnerabilities in programs with an eye toward continual improvement. When we find things are going well, we also want to capitalize on those successes.” While the assessment staff will be looking at both qualitative and quantitative information, the goal of the new unit is to deliver fact-based reviews that let the data speak for itself. Managers can then use this information to make changes within their units to improve program delivery. The PAA staff will also track completion of recommended changes to assist in holding managers accountable for results. The PAA staff is preparing for a busy year. Program Deputy Administrators as well as the Office of the Administrator can request a review of any program unit under their purview, and the requests have already started coming in. Anderson is in the process of hiring a staff of 4 analysts who will be primarily responsible for conducting reviews and preparing the written reports. “Transparency of information is one of the goals of this new unit,” Anderson said.
Last month, Veterinary Services’ Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) in Fort Collins, CO, hosted its ninth annual International Epi Training course. The training is offered in conjunction with the Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (AVEPM). Twenty five epidemiologists participated from about 20 countries, including Bosnia, Botswana, Mongolia, Korea, China, Colombia, Argentina, and El Salvador. The course is aimed at official veterinarians working in disease control programs in their respective countries. The objective is to enhance the capacity to control diseases in their countries, facilitate international negotiations, promote transparency and ultimately protect American agriculture. During the training course, CEAH provides instruction on such things as how to conduct disease surveillance, interpret diagnostic test results, and effectively demonstrate disease freedom. In order to support participation, APHIS provides funding for the participants. Upon completion of the seminar, the hope is that the participants apply the learned concepts in their daily tasks to minimize the threat of diseases abroad. The International Epi Training course is just one example of CEAH’s efforts to create a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated international animal health surveillance system. Fore more information about Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health program activities, please visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/about_aphis/programs_offices/veterinary_services/ceah.shtml
Wildlife Services’ (WS) National Rabies Management Program is currently conducting its annual distribution of oral rabies vaccination baits to stop the westward spread of raccoon rabies. From late August through mid-October, WS in cooperation with local and State governments, universities and other partners, will distribute approximately 9 million ORV baits along a vaccination zone that stretches from Maine to Alabama. Eventually, the goal is to eliminate the raccoon strain of rabies altogether. Sixteen States are currently participating in the program: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Some States like Ohio and Vermont have been participating in the cooperative program since 1998. The Appalachian Mountains, which extend 1,600 miles from southeastern Canada to central Alabama, serve as a natural barrier that restricts raccoon movements helping to slow the spread of the rabies virus west of the mountain range. Baits are also distributed along the U.S. border with Canada to prevent the northward spread of raccoon rabies. The ORV baits are distributed by air and ground personnel. In rural areas, small aircraft drop large numbers of the match-box sized baits, but hand baiting is important in populated areas since it lessens the risk of people and domestic animals coming in contact with the baits. The ORV program has had growing success throughout the years. In 2006, the program shifted the Appalachian ORV zone 5 miles to the east, an important step toward the goal of eliminating raccoon rabies. The current strategy is to continue shifting the ORV zone toward the east coast as successes occur with the long term goal of eliminating raccoon rabies. To support this on-going effort, researchers at WS’ National Wildlife Research Center are working on better baits to improve the delivery of the ORV in raccoons. Field Studies are currently underway to evaluate the effectiveness of the experimental baits. Enhanced techniques are also being developed to estimate raccoon density and distribution so that baits can be placed in areas where raccoons are most likely to be found. Ongoing research, cooperation with State and local agencies, and committed staff are helping to bring the program closer to its ultimate rabies management goal. For more information about the ORV program, please visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/oral_rabies/
Title: Assistant Director for Aquaculture, Swine, Equine and Poultry Health Programs Tell us about your role: Together with the Director, I provide oversight and guidance to our staff officers who handle the day-to-day operations of running their respective programs. I also keep oversight of our staff’s budgets and get involved in special projects. How long have you worked at APHIS: 7 years Education: B.Sc. in Fisheries from the University of Washington, Cand. Scient. (master’s equivalent) from the University of Bergen (Norway) in fish pathology and Sc.D. (Doctor of Science) from the University of Bergen in fish pathology/comparative pathology. Most Memorable APHIS experience: The exotic Newcastle disease (END) Task Force. I had only one three-week rotation on the surveillance team in Southern California toward the end of the eradication effort. This was my first introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS), and it was amazing to see the process working to organize thousands of people brought in from all over the country with various backgrounds to meet one goal – eradicate END! Who knew APHIS employs cowboys? I met several “tick riders” who normally spend days at a time on horseback riding along the Mexican border looking for stray cattle that may carry cattle fever ticks. Priorities for the coming months: Publish an interim rule for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS); work to gain support for an aquatic advisory committee as suggested by the National Aquatic Animal Health Plan (NAAHP); respond to comments we receive on the NAAHP and update the NAAHP as necessary; continue work on rewriting swine regulations to be performance-based; work with partners on everything H1N1. Last good book read: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Favorite movie: Dune (David Lynch, 1984). The movie was a financial flop, and some consider it David Lynch’s greatest catastrophe. I love it and watch it at least once a year! And for those of you wondering if I read the Frank Herbert classic on which this movie is based – the answer is no. I’ve had it on my shelf for years, and I’m afraid I won’t love the movie as much if I read the book! Hobbies: skiing (cross-country and downhill), swimming, general fitness/exercise, reading, traveling, knitting, Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), science fiction/action movies, my dog (His name is Windigo and he’s an American Eskimo) and chocolate (if food can be a hobby!).
Vacancies in APHIS Position: Supervisory Biotechnologist Position: Interdisciplinary-Biological Scientist/Microbiologist/VMO Position: Veterinary Medical Officer (Area Epidemiology Officer) Position: Intergovernmental Affairs Specialist Position: Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (Assistant Director) |
|||||||||||||
Name: Jill Rolland