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APHIS Headquarters located in Riverdale, Maryland
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Contact Information
Hallie Zimmers
State Liaison, APHIS
Legislative and Public Affairs
202-720-0378 (ph)
202-720-3982 (fax)
hallie.zimmers@aphis.usda.gov
Jacob Hegeman
State Liaison, APHIS
Legislative and Public Affiars
202-720-6794
202-720-3982
jacob.hegeman@aphis.usda.gov
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The January edition of APHIS News for States includes a new section highlighting upcoming Agency activities and events. This section will be recurring in future issues and we hope that you find it useful. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
(Click on headline to view article or scroll down.)
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APHIS Reintroduces the River Otter to New Mexico
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All captured otters were given a health examination before being released in New Mexico.
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For the first time in more than 50 years, river otters are once again a part of the New Mexico landscape. With assistance from APHIS’ Wildlife Services (WS) program, 10 healthy river otters from Washington State were relocated to Taos Pueblo Tribal lands in New Mexico. The first 5 otters were released in October and then three more in early November. The final two otters were released in late December.
“It was a tremendous journey for the otters, said Darren Bruning, the Wildlife Services biologist who coordinated the relocation effort. “It’s quite a testament to the resilience of wild animals to see them healthy and acting like wild river otters in their new environment.”
While New Mexico has been without river otters for more than half a century, the Puget Sound area of Washington State has a healthy and productive population. In that area, some river otters have caused concerns for property owners who have experienced damage to their boat houses and docks, but in New Mexico, river otters are seen as a missing piece of the natural landscape. The Taos Pueblo Tribal lands are in a remote area and the Washington river otters now have the waterways to themselves.
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A male otter in his new habitat in New Mexico.
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Reintroducing the animals was a cooperative effort that involved WS, the Taos Pueblo Indian Tribe, the State of New Mexico, other Federal agencies and private conservation groups. Once the otters were captured, they were cared for by specialists at WS’ National Wildlife Research Center Field Station in Olympia, WA. The otters were also given a complete health exam with the assistance of APHIS’ Veterinary Services office in Oregon before being transported via van or plane from Washington to New Mexico. Ultimately, the goal is to reintroduce as many as 30 river otters in New Mexico, and the hope is that they will thrive in their new environment.
“WS is always looking for innovative, nonlethal solutions to address wildlife challenges,” Bruning said. In this particular case we were also able to contribute to the conservation of a species and that’s very important to me as a wildlife biologist.”
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Save Our Citrus Campaign Targets Online Citrus Buyers
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A new APHIS Web site targeting on-line shoppers is part of a new Agency campaign to protect the U.S. citrus industry against citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid. SaveOurCitrus.org was launched in late November to alert on-line citrus buyers of the risks posed by moving citrus plants from quarantine areas. In the first two weeks the site was live it received more than 13,000 visitors and generated several leads regarding the potential movement of prohibited citrus material.
So far citrus greening has only been detected in Florida and Louisiana but the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease, has been found in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mexico, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Texas. While citrus and citrus plants can still move from these States, they must meet certain requirements. Most importantly, host plants cannot be shipped to other citrus-producing States and territories where the Asian citrus psyllid is not present.
Shoppers who go to search engines Yahoo or Google and type in citrus sales or other key words will automatically get a notice in red at the top of the page that says “USDA Citrus Crisis Alert”. The new Web site was launched just in time for the busy holiday season when many people purchase citrus plants on-line and ship them to family and friends. The hope is that interested buyers will click on the SaveOurCitrus link first and learn about citrus greening and the spread of the disease before making an on-line purchase. The thinking is that educated buyers are much less likely to purchase citrus plants from unknown sources or ship them to prohibited areas.
The Web site provides information about the disease, why it’s a threat and high-risk activities. The site also includes a resource section that links to State, University and citrus industry sites. For more information, go to SaveOurCitrus.org.
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APHIS Implements Effort to Quantify Illegal Fruit Fly Host Material Entering the United States
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The entry of illegal fruit and vegetables into the U.S. is a major concern for the APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance program (SITC). SITC is charged with preventing the unlawful entry, introduction and distribution of prohibited agricultural commodities that may harbor exotic plant and animal pests, diseases or invasive species.
The enforcement of agricultural commercial products at the ports of entry primarily falls under the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, PPQ provides CBP with policy and guidance on regulating agricultural commodities. While commercial shipments of agricultural products are a primary enforcement area, passenger luggage presents another potential pathway for prohibited products to make their way into the United States. This fall, SITC learned that satkara fruit, a member of the citrus family, was making its way into the United States in passenger baggage from Bangladesh and surrounding areas. Satkara is a host fruit for fruit flys (Diptera: Tephritidae), which could have a devastating effect on citrus- producing regions if released.
To assess the amount of fruit fly host material entering the United States from Bangladesh and surrounding areas, SITC, in conjunction with CBP, initiated a special operation at certain ports of entry to identify the amount of satkara and other prohibited agricultural material entering the United States in passenger baggage.
The operation was designed to coincide with the harvest season for satkara and other fruits such as pummelo, lemon, mandarin and sweet orange. Spanning several days in November and December, the operation took place at airport customs checkpoints with high volumes of international arrivals and relied on the use of x-ray machines and hand inspection to identify prohibited material. Suspected positive finds were submitted to a USDA Plant Inspection Station for confirmation. In each positive case, SITC used the information collected to help identify possible commercial and non-commercial pathways for these illegal agricultural products.
By targeting illegal products at ports of entry, APHIS assists CBP to protect American agriculture while providing outreach to the travelling public on the dangers of introducing exotic pests to the United States.
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APHIS and New England States Conduct Foot-and-Mouth Disease Training Exercise to Strengthen State-Federal Planning and Preparedness
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APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS), Emergency Management and Diagnostics, National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS) program in conjunction with the New England APHIS Veterinary Services Area Office, the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, and the State Animal Health Officials from six New England States, sponsored a foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease exercise November 18-19, 2008 in Concord, NH.
Coordination among State and Federal animal health officials is critical to ensuring a rapid response to an FMD event. To enhance State and Federal FMD response and coordination, the November exercise included both a discussion and functional component designed to address the following items, among others:
- Assess State, region, and Federal planning and coordination for responding to an FMD outbreak
- Asses the role of the NVS in responding to an FMD outbreak in the New England region
- Test the Incident Command System approach within a six State region and integration of VS’ Incident Management Team into a regional response
- Use the VS Emergency Management Response System (EMRS) to manage disease response
- Identify regional and State communication issues specific to animal agriculture and emergency response
- Identify potential FMD-specific supplies, equipment, and capabilities that States would require during an outbreak response
During the discussion section, participants discussed potential regional issues inherent to an FMD outbreak such as movement control, collaboration and coordination, and limited amounts of locally available response supplies. During the functional component of the exercise, participants observed Veterinary Services’ Incident Management Team (IMT) #1 members simulate activities during a response operational period including planning, operations, logistics, and finance and administration.
The exercise brought together approximately 60 participants from agriculture, emergency management, public health, academia, and industry to discuss the issues surrounding effective regional responses to an FMD outbreak. Based on the success of the exercise, future New England exercises are being contemplated that would address additional issues including vaccination policy, continuity of industry operations, and financial recovery for the region.
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Carcass Disposal Tools Available Online for Emergency Responders
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In the event of a large-scale foreign animal disease outbreak, many people at both the Federal and State level will be called upon to provide assistance. While many of these first responders will be veterinarians or animal health technicians, they may not have experience with mass depopulation and carcass disposal. In addition, it’s likely that some responders may not have any animal health expertise whatsoever. To ensure that all responders have the resources they need in an emergency, APHIS has developed some Web tools that provide critical emergency management resources in a user-friendly design.
Responders who visit the site will get assistance in determining the most appropriate actions to safely and effectively manage an outbreak. The site provides a number of emergency management tools, including information on countermeasures, modeling, and caracass disposal, decontamination and depopulation. This site also includes information on health and safety for those working the emergency. A brief tutorial helps visitors navigate the site and learn about available resources.
One of the most interesting components of the site is a Disposal Tree that addresses possible options for dealing with livestock carcasses. Responders who are considering burial as a possible option can click on the decision tree and go to a Web Soil Survey that provides information on the suitability of a particular location for burial. All the user needs to do is type in the address under consideration. If the carcasses need to be taken to a landfill, users can click on a link for an Environmental Protection Agency resource that provides a listing of all the landfills in the area.
This is information that is critical during an emergency but can often be difficult to obtain quickly if you don’t know where to look. The hope is that responders will visit the site now and learn about its capabilities and resources so that they can quickly navigate the site in an emergency. For more information about the site, please contact Lori Miller at 301-734-4917 or by email at lori.p.miller@aphis.usda.gov. To visit the site, go to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/emergency_response/tools/aphis_role_emergency_tools.shtml
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APHIS Feature: Plant Biosecurity Curriculum for Universities
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Regulatory plant protection is critical for safeguarding U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace, but many college students in the life sciences are unaware such a career path exists. In 2004, APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program set out to change this, developing a Plant Biosecurity Curriculum (PBC) that provides universities with course materials that can be used to offer new programs in plant biosecurity, usually as a minor or certificate program.
In addition to being a recruitment tool for PPQ and State plant regulators, the PBC promotes awareness of the dangers posed by invasive exotic weeds, plant pathogens and other plant pests. The program is committed to partnering with land grant universities with a special emphasis on minority-serving institutions.
North Carolina State University was the first school to collaborate with PPQ beginning in 2005. The university currently offers two upper-level undergraduate/graduate courses that are taught by a PPQ scientist and can also be delivered to other universities via video conference. “Challenges in Plant Resource Protection” provides training on the regulatory aspects of plant protection using real-world case studies and issues. A second course, “Fundamentals of Risk Analysis” provides students with a foundation in pest risk analysis in the context of government policy and decision making. These courses are combined with existing courses in plant pathology, entomology, and weed science to form a minor in Plant Biosecurity and Regulatory Science.
Other schools that have incorporated the PBC include Florida A&M University, the University of Maryland, College Park, and Michigan State University. PPQ is also working with several universities to establish new programs. Rutgers University, the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore are all in the process of incorporating the curriculum into their existing programs. New Mexico State University is also reviewing the curriculum to determine how it can be integrated at the school.
Based on the initial success of the program, the PBC is looking to expand its efforts and develop new lecture materials. In order to give students a well-rounded, real-world education, PPQ would also like to incorporate States’ perspective on plant regulatory issues. For more information on the PBC or to provide input regarding the curriculum, please contact Dr. Gordon Gordh at gordon.gordh@aphis.usda.gov or (919) 855-7409.
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Upcoming APHIS Activities
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This section provides information on upcoming APHIS activities, training opportunities and events that are open to States or especially for States.
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Agricultural Emergency Response Training (AgERT)
What it is: The WMD Basic Agricultural Emergency Response Training course is a 32-hour course that provides the responder with an overview of agro terrorism and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive hazards, relative to their potential impact upon agricultural resources and the agricultural community. Lectures include response actions, epidemiology, zoonotic diseases, foreign animal diseases, animal restraint and euthanasia, and animal carcass disposal. Hands-on training provides knowledge and skills in selecting and using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), conducting decontamination, using survey and monitoring equipment, and preserving the crime scene. The course culminates with a scenario-oriented, task-driven, hands-on practical exercise involving a response to a hazardous event in an agricultural setting.
Location: Center for Domestic Preparedness, Anniston, Alabama
Audience: Veterinarians, Animal Health Technicians, animal inspectors, food inspectors, HAZMAT technicians, game wardens, and animal control officers
Dates: March 1-6, April 5-10, May 3-8, June 7-12
Cost: Free
Web site: https://cdp.dhs.gov/resident/agert.html
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 Agriculturalist (LBAM Operations Manager)
Location: Watsonville, CA
Pay Plan: GS-0401-12/13
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Jan. 12, 2009
Position: Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer/Microbiologist
Location: Riverdale, MD
Pay Plan: GS-0403,0701-14/14
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Jan. 12, 2009
Position: PPQ Officer (CSI Florida Program Manager)
Location: Kendall, FL
Pay Plan: GS-0401-12/13
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Jan. 12, 2009
Position: Assistant Deputy Administrator (Legislative and Public Affairs)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Pay Plan: GS-0301-15/15
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Jan. 19, 2009
Position: Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (AVIC)
Location: GS-0701-13/14
Pay Plan: Harrisburg, PA
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Jan. 20, 2009
Position: Supervisory Research Biologist/Supy Research WL Biologist
Location: Starkville, MS
Pay Plan: GS-0486,0401-13/13
Who May Apply: All U.S. citizens
Position Closes: Feb. 17, 2009
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