September 13, 2004
The Honorable Ted Stevens
Chairman, Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate
Hart Office Building, Room 522
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Stevens:
RE: Agricultural Appropriations Issues
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), representing the commissioners, secretaries, and directors of agriculture in the fifty states and four territories, has learned that actions taken during the United States House of Representatives markup of the FY 05 budget (the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005—H. R. 4766) may adversely affect funding in critical areas of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA APHIS PPQ) FY 05 budget.
NASDA expresses its support for full funding of the following programs, which is at the same levels as those found in the President’s FY 05 budget:
The Pest Detection Line Item of the USDA APHIS PPQ FY 05 budget is $45,308,000. This program is the foundation of the early detection and rapid response efforts needed to deal with plant pests (including diseases) in the United States, activities critical to maintaining agricultural production and a high quality of life for our communities. NASDA policy has long supported maintaining strong pest detection programs. With the identification of ever increasing numbers of invasive species and the addition of homeland security concerns, the importance of this funding is even more critical. Besides 1) early pest detection and 2) rapid response efforts, this line item also funds 3) select agent investigations–many select agents are diseases of agricultural crops, 4) development of bioterrorism response measures for plant pests; and 5) priority special projects. It also provides 6) essential resources to the States to conduct pest survey efforts through the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) Program. These survey programs are conducted in most States by the NASDA member agency. NASDA members believe support of the Pest Detection Line Item funding for APHIS PPQ, at the level found in the President’s FY 05 budget, is essential to help USDA and the States safeguard America’s agricultural and natural resources.
The second critical program identified in the USDA APHIS PPQ FY 05 budget is for the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) Program. The Appropriated AQI Line Item is proposed to be funded at $25,031,000. Contained within the Appropriated AQI budget is $3,000,000 for funding operations at the specialized Plant Germplasm Inspection Station (Building 580, Greenbelt, MD). This facility is uniquely designed to handle germplasm and other propagative materials that are valuable for plant breeding and research programs, but which are normally prohibited from entering into the United States. These items must be inspected at this specialized facility, and if necessary, treated before they are allowed to enter the country. The $3,000,000 for this facility appears to have been removed from the funding level for AQI Programs during the House of Representatives markup of the budget. Without this essential level of funding, the facility simply cannot operate effectively and safely.
We appreciate your consideration of these important funding issues during your deliberations regarding the FY 05 budget.
Sincerely,
Gene Hugoson, Gus Douglass
President, NASDA Chair, NASDA Animal & Plant
Commissioner, Industries Committee
Minnesota Department Commissioner,
Of Agriculture West Virginia Department of Agriculture
Distribution list:
Members, Senate Committee on Appropriations
CC: Representative Alan B. Mollohan
Representative Martin Sabo
Representative Collin Peterson
Representative Gil Gutknecht