Iowa officials highlight efforts to prevent emerald ash borer in state (2) Aug 30, 2009
The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service ... Iowa agencies, in cooperation with USDA-APHIS and Forest Service, will be working together to survey for EAB. ... Monitoring efforts include visual surveys at high risk sites by Iowa State University, DNR's placement of... (Sioux Falls Tri-State Neighbor, SD)
International Paper Follows Monsanto's Blueprint to Grow `Frankenforests' Aug 28, 2009
The USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service may approve sales of freeze-tolerant eucalyptus trees by late 2010, ArborGen Chief Executive Officer said. The company also is developing trees that are easier to pulp and that grow twice as fast, said Wells, a former Monsanto executive who has a doctorate in agronomy. (Bloomberg -- US)
Grasshopper infestation forces livestock sales Aug 21, 2009
"It's just off the charts," said Bruce Helbig, state plant health director with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Pierre. In far southwest South Dakota, there are more than 60 grasshoppers per square yard. (Anchorage Daily News)
Wyo. grasshopper surge raises toxic beetle worry Aug 20, 2009
Grasshopper outbreaks tend to be cyclical and are influenced by climate and insect population dynamics, said Bruce Shambaugh, state plant health director for the Plant Protection Quarantine division of the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Wyoming has experienced outbreaks of pest grasshopper species this summer in counties that traditionally have grasshopper problems, he said. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Kittery Water District kills geese at York pond Aug 19, 2009
Would love to see a good restaurant to revitalize the (Seacoast New Hampshire)
States drop restrictions; BAP to continue for six more months (27) Aug 10, 2009
With the state's Class Free Status regained, emphasis can now shift to working with other Greater Yellowstone Area states and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on revising how the federal government oversees brucellosis eradication in livestock. Last fall, APHIS released a draft brucellosis regionalization plan known as the National Brucellosis Elimination Zone. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Gladiolus rust disease a serious threat Aug 10, 2009
We contacted one of those two USDA employees, Sandy Jordan, supervisory plant quarantine officer with the Plant Protection and Quarantine division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ... If you suspect your glads have the disease, you can contact the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or California Department of Food and Agriculture (see Resources). (San Francisco Chronicle)
Mandatory COOL Deadline Approaching, Are You Ready? (2) Aug 9, 2009
Other records that could be used to assist in a COOL verification include birth records, receiving records, purchase records, animal health papers, sales receipts, animal inventory documents, feeding records, APHIS VS forms, segregation plans, State Brand requirements, breeding stock information, Beef Quality Program papers, and other similar documents. In addition, participation in USDA Quality System Verification Programs (QSVP), such as the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) and the Quality... (Agri-View, WI)
How oak death spores survive baffles scientists Jul 25, 2009
After the 2004 Monrovia debacle, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ordered testing of water and waterways near infected nurseries. Since then the pathogen has been detected in waterways near nurseries in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Washington, North and South Carolina. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Traps set for emerald ash borer Jul 22, 2009
The s animal and plant health inspection service to release emergency funds and provide technical assistance. The Forest Service to approve and release funding for the battle. (Buffalo Business First, NY)
Predators battle bugs, become pests themselves Jul 22, 2009
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved hundreds of biocontrol agents since the early 1970s, said technical adviser Robert Flanders, the former head of the permitting unit. But officials say they do not have a more precise number because biocontrol permits over the decades have been intermingled with thousands of files for other permits. (Concord Monitor)
Fall River County adopts 'hopper disaster resolution Jul 20, 2009
APHIS will cover one-third of the cost of spraying on private land, half of the cost on state land and all the cost of federal Forest Service and grasslands, but the group must do the spraying, and the agency must ask them to do it. "Right now, the Forest Service is saying that they don't have a grasshopper problem," Mesman said. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Ag journalist challenges NAIS premise confidentiality (3) Jul 19, 2009
Zanoni is represented by Leonard G. Brown, III, of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania law firm Clymer r, P.C. In October 2007, Zanoni submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for the NPIR livestock "phone book" list. Initially, APHIS indicated that it planned to disclose some 17,000 pages of printed NPIR records to Zanoni; however, the agency later denied her request on the basis of FOIA's Exemption 6, which in some... (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Purple boxes to attract ash borer Jul 18, 2009
It is one of the largest emerald ash borer detection efforts in the country, funded in large part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Since May, surveyors have placed 6,893 of the empty triangle-shaped boxes in ash trees. (Watertown Daily Times, WI)
Grasshopper numbers take a leap Jul 16, 2009
Amy Mesman with the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says grasshopper numbers are cyclical. She calls this a "grasshopper year," saying there's plentiful rain and good forage for the bugs. (Sioux City Journal)
Officials urge USDA to compensate rancher Jul 15, 2009
When cattle producers are encouraged to slaughter their entire herds, the USDA has offered compensation of up to 3,000 per animal, said Cindy Ragin, a spokeswoman for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The exact amount of compensation offered is based on the market value of the cattle involved. (Sioux City Journal)
Arkansas sets sights on China rice trade Jul 12, 2009
In May, the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service outlined safety protocols at the request of the Chinese government, said Jim Guinn, vice president of international promotion for the Arlington, Va. -based USA Rice Federation. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
Schumer wants help on emerald ash borer Jul 2, 2009
The U.S. Department of Agriculture s animal and plant health inspection service to release emergency funds and provide technical assistance. The Forest Service to approve and release funding for the battle. (Buffalo Business First, NY)
Protesters question treatment of rare tigers Jul 2, 2009
The judgment calls for permanent revocation of the ZooCats' Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service exhibit license and finds the company in violation of the Animal Welfare Act's handling and containing requirements. Marcus Cook, ZooCats director, is with the cats at the Heritage Festival and says the case was overturned during an appeal process. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
FWP seeks to relocate quarantined bison Jun 27, 2009
The bison are part of a four-year-old research projected directed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The animals have been quarantined at a facility near Corwin Springs, north of Yellowstone National Park. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Pests from the sky: Grasshopper infestation threatens Lake County lands Jun 5, 2009
The USDA treats federal lands through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, but Stivers says private property owners will have to help as well this year to mitigate the threat posed by grasshoppers. It's a severe infestation, he says, and now is the critical time for treatment. (Missoulian, MT)
Attack of the tree-killing pests Jun 5, 2009
Foresters Steve Rasmussen and Dr. Mark Harrell, along with Ryan Krull, regional entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, answer some questions about the two pests and your trees ... Such letters go to campers from the states or counties whose firewood is quarantined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service because the emerald ash borer has been found there: Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio,... (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Watch out for Asian Longhorned Beetle! May 31, 2009
The USDA s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service works with authorities in China, Japan, and Korea to take steps to prevent future infestations of ALB and similar pests. This pest kills hardwood trees in China. (Hingham Journal, MA)
MSU professor part of team studying effects of NAIS on livestock industry (62) May 25, 2009
That was one of the suprising findings of a research team member who was part of an APHIS year-long project that examined the effects of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) on the livestock industry ... Brester said he became involved in the project when APHIS solicited competitive grant research proposals for the project ... APHIS had a variety of specific issues that the KSU team was required to ad-dress. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Forestry officials on urgent mission: beetles May 23, 2009
"As far as New England is concerned, you should consider the Asian longhorned beetle Public Enemy Number 1," said Suzanne Bond, spokeswoman for the U.S. Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The Asian longhorned beetle is particularly troublesome because, unlike most insects that feed on one or two types of trees, it eats virtually all hardwoods. (Concord Monitor)
Circus elephants in the legal spotlight May 21, 2009
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which monitors the care of performing animals under its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, initially found that the use of a bull hook "created behavioral stress and trauma which precipitated in the physical harm and ultimate death of the animal." After a review by the USDA General Counsel's Office, however, the final report concluded simply that Benjamin drowned after suffering cardiac arrhythmia "without any signs of... (MSNBC -- Environment)
More of this story May 20, 2009
According to Clements, the turtle was discovered near the Nohili shoreline at PMRF, initially by Jason Shimauchi of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, assigned to the base primarily for the purposes of investigating aircraft collisions with birds. Shimauchi and others monitored the turtle, which had injuries consistent with contact with a boat propellor, until the arrival of Heacock, Clements said. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Persistent Viral Infections of Aphi... May 19, 2009
This virus, transmitted by Aphis craccivora, requires both a helper virus, groundnut rosette accessory virus (GRAV) and a satellite RNA molecule to become infective all three of which must be transmitted by the aphid at the same time. The satellite RNA molecule is responsible for producing the characteristics of the disease and different forms of statellite RNA molecules produce different expressions of the infection. (Suite101.com)
Few good options against brucellosis May 15, 2009
Jerry Diemer, western regional director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, discussed a federal proposal to create a National Brucellosis Elimination Zone. The proposal would eliminate the financial burden of testing for the disease outside the Yellowstone region, allowing funding for monitoring and research to be focused on the parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho that are closest to the park. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Wyo, Idaho govs slam brucellosis plan May 10, 2009
"The ideas and comments we get will help us set a new timeline," said Lyndsay Griffin, a spokeswoman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of Agriculture branch that oversees brucellosis control efforts. "The concept is intended to spur conversation on what people think will and will not work within their states," she added. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Will Bad Science Policy Sink Recovery? May 1, 2009
FDA, EPA and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the agencies that perform a gatekeeper function which means they need to approve high-tech products such as gene-spliced plant varieties and pharmaceuticals and other chemicals before they can be marketed are unscientific; overly risk-averse; and highly politicized, easily prodded to excesses by congressional demagoguery. The pharmaceutical industry used to be one of the nation's most innovative and successful, but excessive,... (Investors Business Daily)
Class offers insight into ash borer infestations Apr 30, 2009
JoAnn Cruse, APHIS, Wisconsin Plant Health Director, will be discussing quarantine areas and reasons for the quarantine and what it means to people living in the quarantine areas. ADVERTISEMENT. (Forest Republican, WI)
Anterio Sloan is No. 2 for Nebraska's Class of 2010 Apr 6, 2009
Sloan was also offered by Kentucky, Texas Aphis and Hawaii. The Huskers have two 2010 pledges in Sloan and ESPNU 150 Watch List offensive lineman Andrew Rodriquez of Aurora, Neb. (ESPN -- Recruiting)
Contagious Equine Metritis, Also Kn... Apr 4, 2009
Recently, the (APHIS) division of the United States Department of Agriculture has reported an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) ... According to APHIS, in mid-December, 2008, a Quarter horse in Kentucky tested positive for contagious equine metritis through routine testing of semen collected for shipment to another facility. (Suite101.com)
Are Beetles Imported into the U.S. to Kill Invasive Trees Doing Too Good a Job? Mar 20, 2009
BOB RICHARD/US ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE ... Beginning in 2001 biologists in nearly all southwestern states with input and funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released the beetles in tamarisk thickets. (Scientific American)
Satellite spies on tree-eating bugs Mar 10, 2009
The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says saltcedar or tamarisk is "a highly invasive, exotic weed" in the form of "a large shrub or small tree that was introduced to North America from Asia in the early 1800s. The plant has been used for windbreaks, ornamentals, and erosion control. By 1850, saltcedar had infested river systems and drainages in the Southwest, often displacing native vegetation.". "By 1938, infestations were found from Florida to California and as far... (EurekAlert!)
State's beaver earmark is fodder for McCain Mar 7, 2009
Chemicals spilled from 30 rail cars, said Jon Heisterberg, state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's APHIS wildlife services' division. A week ago, Heisterberg took a handful of state legislative staff members to a pair of culverts under Highway 301 in Rocky Mount. (News & Observer)
AUDIO from Medialink and USDA/APHIS: Deadly Agricultural Disease is Putting America's Citrus at Risk Mar 5, 2009
Listen to this report from USDA/APHIS at ... SOURCE Medialink; USDA/APHIS. (PR Newswire)
Bovine TB tests on N.D. herd look promising Mar 5, 2009
"We'll be looking at a recommendation from APHIS on how to handle the last one out there," she said, referring to the federal Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Keller said it is likely the 28th suspect cow will test negative. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Lawmakers want to test wolves for brucellosis Feb 28, 2009
Ann wrote on Feb 27, 2009 6:23 AM:" Why not get a vaccine to work in the cattle, Make APHIS rethink the 'dreadfulness' (if there still is) of the disease in the first place. And quit wasting money trying to figure out what is more guilty. At this point Humans are guilty for not trying to protect the cattle directly. ". Don wrote on Feb 27, 2009 7:30 AM:" Another way to exterminate the wolves won't you people ever give up! ". (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Relocation of quarantined bison hits roadblock Feb 28, 2009
The FWP, working with the national park, the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and state livestock officials, has increased the quarantined herd's numbers through breeding and now has 41 bison it intends to relocate as early as April. Those first bison are bound for the Eastern Shoshone Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. (Agri-View, WI)
New aphid-resistant soybean varieties will be available soon Feb 26, 2009
The resistant gene contained in the resistant soybean varieties is referred to as Rag-1 (resistance aphis glycines). Tilmon said that the new resistant varieties released this spring in Canada will include this gene. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Conservationists call for an end to USDA's wildlife killing agency Feb 20, 2009
From our perspective, we certainly feel that we have a responsibility to respond to those requests, she said from APHIS headquarters in Riverdale, Md. Bannerman said the agency is required to review each individual project and move ahead only if there would be no long-term negative impact on the environment. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Anna Dorigiola Feb 19, 2009
"Some countries were and are requiring that our fresh pork be either frozen or tested prior to entering their country due to this organism," says Dr. David Pyburn, vet medical officer for APHIS swine health programs. "Once we freeze, it's technically not fresh pork anymore.". (Agri-View, WI)
How the war on terror is costing Canadians jobs Feb 19, 2009
A glaring irritant is a 2006 U.S. program known as APHIS, which forces Canadian trucks to pay a food-inspection fee every time they cross the border, regardless of whether they are hauling food. It was simply a revenue grab, says Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and a cabinet minister in the 1980s Conservative government that negotiated free trade with the United States. (Globe and Mail)
Livestock producers don't agree with mandatory premise identification Feb 19, 2009
This agency action by APHIS is unlawful, he said in the press release ... We additionally request that APHIS be directed to immediately inform each state animal health official that the agency no longer is requiring the registration of premises as a condition of producer participation in regulated animal disease programs, or for any other purpose ... The Montana Department of Livestock, Montana Department of Agriculture and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have a... (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Medical Students Target Aphids With Insecticide Safe For Humans Feb 16, 2009
Soybean aphids (Aphis glycines). (Credit: USDA/Photo by Bamphitlhi Tiroesele). (Science Daily)
Bovine TB test results still weeks away Feb 14, 2009
Live tests also are being done on older animals in four neighboring cattle herds, at the direction of the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Those herds, which have about 600 animals, are not quarantined. (Agri-View, WI)
Pilot brucellosis project continues with elk capture in Wyoming (58) Feb 10, 2009
The project has been a large cooperative effort between the Wyoming Game Department, USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Vet-erinary Services, the University of Wyo-ming, Wyoming State Veterinary Labo-ratory, and Sublette County Sheriff's Office and Sublette County Road and Bridge. A number of logistical challenges have been overcome to conduct these elk trapping efforts, not the least of which is snow removal on the roads into the feedgrounds, said Talbott. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Upcoming government meetings Feb 8, 2009
4 miles of Pearce Road and 200 feet of Fourth Street as county highway and schedule a public hearing for March 3; possible approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Bisbee regarding maintenance and repair of city vehicles; possible approval of a five-year cooperative service agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to conduct wildlife damage management in Cochise County; possible approval of a work session request to discuss... (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
