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Jacob Hegeman
State
Liaison, APHIS
Legislative
and Public Affiars
202-720-6794
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In October 2008, State Plant Regulatory Officials and State Forestry officials from the six New England States and New York met with APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine Program and the U.S. Forest Service to discuss the Asian Longhorned Beetle problem in Worcester, MA, and its potential impacts on urban and native forests in the region. One of the main concerns raised at this meeting was that wood had moved out of the infested area for many years prior to the infestation being discovered and that there could be satellite infestations brewing that had not yet been found. The outcome of the initial discussions was the development of the Northeast Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project (NEFPOSP). NEFPOSP is a cooperative effort between State and Federal agencies oriented around two major components- ALB Awareness Month and a zip code based assessment of wood movement into the region’s State and Federal campgrounds. The first component, ALB Awareness Month, was developed because August is the best month for the public to see the insect and visual signs of infestation if it were present in the environment. To promote the initiative, Governor’s Proclamations were sought and events were planned to educate the public and encourage volunteers to learn about forest pests and participate in surveys for these pests. Additionally, a major volunteer initiative was planned in each State to “train the trainers” so that these trained individuals would go back to their organizations and train their membership on what to look for and how to report signs of ALB as well as other regional forests pests of concern such as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The second component of NEFPOSP was to contact Federal and State campgrounds to assess their risk based on zip code analyses of their reservations from visitors who originated from ALB and EAB quarantined areas. The thought here was that visitors from these areas might have brought firewood with them, which is very high risk for bringing pests from one area to another. Results from these analyses were used to conduct visual surveys of host trees for signs of ALB and EAB. NEFPOSP is in the process of wrapping up this year’s activities and conducting project reviews within each State. Subsequently, a region wide project review with the goal of documenting successes and what improvements should be made for future efforts is expected. Ultimately, NEFPOSP is convinced that the public is the best ally in finding new pests and is now beginning preparations for similar activities in 2010. For more information on NEFSOP, please contact: Patty Douglass, State Plant Health Director-CT/MA/RI at 203 269-4277 or patricia.m.douglass@aphis.usda.gov.
In October 2008, Veterinary Services (VS) laid out the initial snapshots of its vision of what the U.S. Animal Health landscape will look like in the year 2015 and the role VS will play in this new landscape. Recognizing that the development of the “VS 2015” vision requires input from VS, State and Industry perspectives, VS has spent 2009 developing the framework by which it will fill in this vision. Now, as the one year mark for the VS 2015 approaches, we thought it would be useful to recap where the initiative has come from and where it is going in the coming months and years. VS 2015 is based on the recognition that the U.S. animal health landscape is changing. Just a few of the factors underlying this shift include changes in technology and production practices, increasing demand for animals and animal products, and globalization and changing environmental conditions that are in part linked to the emergence of new animal diseases--many of which also affect humans. These issues will add a variety of new responsibilities to the VS of 2015 and will require a careful balancing of priorities between traditional VS disease programs and these new areas. In order to continue fulfilling its mission of safeguarding American agriculture, VS has undertaken the VS 2015 effort to identify the areas where change is needed, and then develop a process by which it will implement these identified changes. To identify what changes VS will need to make to adapt to this new paradigm, VS’ 2015 coordinator, Nora Wineland, has been busy since November 2008 developing internal work groups to start filling in what these changes could look like. The initial work groups, focusing on One Health, Surveillance for Action, Movement and Marketability, and Agriculture Emergency Management Preparedness and Response Planning (AEM-PReP) will be comprised of VS staff. State partners will be invited to join the work groups once they have some initial directional work completed. State participation in the VS 2015 process has been an essential element from the beginning. Starting with a meeting of U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) and National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials leadership in March 2009, the VS2015 initiative has been interacting regularly with these groups to keep them apprised of developments within VS. As the details for VS 2015 become more fully developed, these will be shared with State Partners and then industry. At USAHA this October, VS will provide a more detailed update on the 2015 initiative and describe the work that the One Health Work Group has embarked on and discuss plans for the other work groups. VS will also provide an opportunity for stakeholder input for the workgroups. Look for periodic updates on 2015 in future issues of APHIS News for States. For more information on VS2015, please contact: vs2015@aphis.usda.gov.
Beginning this fall, APHIS’ Wildlife Services (WS) program will be working with the U.S. Air Force to prevent bird strikes at two U.S. airbases in the Middle East: Joint Base Balad in Iraq and Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. Each base will have a dedicated WS’ biologist onsite who will address day-to-day hazards caused by wildlife, especially birds. They’ll also be working on a year-long wildlife hazard assessment to provide both bases with comprehensive reports on the types of wildlife species around the bases and what steps can be taken to minimize their presence and reduce strikes. The U.S. Air Force Central Command contacted WS earlier this year in response to growing concerns about bird strikes at both bases. While no injuries have been reported, the strikes have been costly. A single bird strike at Bagram Airbase in 2007 cost the Air Force more than $1 million in repairs. Interestingly, the airbases are dealing with some of the same species that cause problems here at airports in the United States. At the base in Iraq, they’ve got mallard ducks and gulls and in Afghanistan they’ve got problems caused by European starlings—an invasive, but pervasive species here in the United States. The bases also have some unique challenges caused by raptors and falcons unique to the Middle East landscape. “It’s going to be different, but in some respects it’s also the same,” said Mike Begier, National Coordinator for WS’ Airport Wildlife Hazards Program. “Regardless of the problem, our biologists can provide tailored recommendations to alter habitat or remove dangerous species in order to reduce strikes, save money and potentially save lives.” WS is currently in the process of identifying the biologists who will be detailed to the Middle East. Because of the location, those employees who are selected to serve will receive what is known as “danger pay” in addition to their regular salary. The hope is that as long as the United States has a presence in the Middle East, that WS will also be there helping to prevent bird strikes.
USDA’s new National Detector Dog Training Center in Newnan, GA recently received a gold rating from the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The 121,000 square-foot facility with a total of 6 buildings sits on 18-acres where APHIS trains beagles to sniff out prohibited agricultural products. The LEED program, which was established by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1998, rates facilities based on a number of factors, including: sustainable sites, water and energy efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The National Detector Dog Training Center was built with air conditioning units that are controlled by a computer that automatically turns the air on before staff enter the training rooms and turns the air off at a predetermined time in the evenings. In order to keep fresh air flowing, the computer system automatically exchanges air in the training rooms a certain number of times per hour. The rooms also have sensors that automatically turn the lights on when someone enters the room and turns the lights off five minutes after the last person exits. In addition, the facility has a 40,000 gallon tank buried in the back of the complex that collects rain water from the gutters of the training building. The water is then pumped into a sanitizing system that sends filtered water to all of the urinals and toilets throughout the complex. The water also goes to the main kennel and is used to clean all the kennels on a daily basis. In addition, the building uses solar energy to provide hot water without having to use electricity or gas to heat the water. The building, which opened in April 2009 and received its gold rating in July, replaces an older building in Orlando, FL. The Florida facility was too small and APHIS had to lease space at 3 other locations in order to meet the demand for training. Although it’s initially more expensive to build an environmentally friendly facility, the Agency actually saved money by relocating to a more affordable area. The savings will continue to grow each month as the building benefits from water and energy efficiencies. The first month alone, the facility saved more than $6,000 on its electrical bill. Another perk is that the facility is just 30 minutes from Atlanta. The location is especially convenient because animal handlers from State Agencies, Customs and Border Protection and Foreign Ministries regularly travel to the center to be matched with beagles and undergo training with their new partners. The facility currently has the capacity to house as many as 80 canines. “We’re extremely proud of our new facility and all that it has to offer,” said Michael Smith, Center Director. “We hope that other Federal facilities will follow in our footsteps as they see the benefits of going green.”
Like other regulatory Agencies, APHIS knows that sometimes compliance comes from holding a carrot and sometimes a stick. But APHIS’ Animal Care (AC) program has also found that compliance can come from holding a workshop. AC regulates more than 7,000 licensed, commercial dog breeders across the United States, with the vast majority located in the Midwest and Western part of the country. By holding 1-day workshops, AC is teaching regulated breeders how to comply with and even exceed Animal Welfare Act requirements. The workshops are held in areas where multiple breeders are located. In addition to providing information about AC regulations and standards, the program also brings in outside experts and veterinarians to speak on relevant topics, such as disease issues, canine nutrition and innovative designs for kennels. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, the workshops have averaged about 84 attendees, up from the FY2008 average of 60 attendees. “Most of the breeders who attend are already doing a good job and want to do better,” said Tracy Thompson, a veterinary medical officer with AC who coordinates all of the workshops. “We primarily hope to reach those that could use help in achieving compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.” In addition to hosting its own workshops, AC also coordinates with Kansas State University and the Missouri Department of Agriculture to hold joint seminars every year. Kansas and Missouri have many commercial dog breeders when compared with other States in the nation. To encourage attendance, AC sometimes advertises the workshops and seminars through local universities and breeder associations. They also mail brochures to local licensees. AC plans to hold more workshops in fiscal year 2010. For more information about upcoming Canine Care Workshops, please contact Tracy Thompson at 240-308-2371 or by email at tracy.a.thompson@aphis.usda.gov.
Title: Tell us about your role: How long have you worked at APHIS: Education: Most Memorable APHIS experience: In the early 1990’s, when WS first started the airport wildlife hazard program at JFK International Airport in New York City, there was intense legal and media attention on the work. At the time I was the WS State Director of NJ/PA/Long Island and New York City, and we were conducting very intensive gull management programs to reduce bird strikes with aircraft at JFK. After one loud, New York-style public meeting in Queens, a quiet woman introduced herself to me as the wife of a pilot. She said “Thank you for taking this on.” Another memorable experience occurred in 2004 when WS participated in the response effort after the Athos 1 oil spill in the Delaware River. On this project, I got to work directly with my neighboring WS State Directors in Pennsylvania and Maryland/Delaware, and our State agency counterparts: the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. It was the first time we used the chemical immobilizing agent, Alpha Chloralose to capture oiled flighted birds for rehabilitation after a spill. It was a unique opportunity to do an operational program together with APHIS colleagues and agencies from a number of different States. All of us worked together on various aspects of the response, and it was very rewarding to broaden APHIS’ capabilities through those partnerships. Priorities for the coming months: Last good book read: Favorite movie: Hobbies:
Vacancies in APHIS Position: Veterinary Medical Officer Position: Security Specialist Position: Safety and Occupational Health Manager Position: Regional Emergency Program Coordinator Position: Agriculturist (Regional Emergency Program Coordinator) |
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Name: Janet L. Bucknall