Pest Exclusion
The introduction of foreign pests has cost the nation millions of dollars in control and eradication efforts and lost production. Foreign pest invasions should be recognized as a national problem, not just the problem of the state in which the pest originally entered the United States. Regardless of the entry point of the disease, it still poses a threat to the entire agriculture industry. Initiatives should be focused on pest exclusion activities including tighter security. In order to be successful, traditional APHIS pest management programs must be fully funded to meet this objective, and maintain current quarantines for federally regulated pests.