Budget 101: APHIS Invasive Pest and Pathogens Funding
On April 14, AFF's President and CEO Tom Martin submitted a statement to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.
In his statement, Martin urges the Subcommittee to maintain critical funding for “forest health, stewardship, and education programs that are essential to keeping America’s family forests healthy and intact for future generations.”
Recognizing the tight budget climate and the necessity for cuts, Martin requests the Subcommittee keep forests and family forest owners a priority, particularly regarding policies that avoid future costs and provide public benefits.
To better highlight the various programs AFF hopes the Subcommittee will support as the FY 2012 budget process unwinds, I have written a series of blog posts, identifying specific programs and their many benefits. Part 1 is below; stay tuned throughout the week for more Budget 101 posts.
PART 1: APHIS Invasive Pest and Pathogen Funding
The American Forest Foundation strongly supports maintaining funding levels for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), host to the Specialty Crops Pest Program and the Tree and Wood Pests program. These programs are essential to fighting invasive species that constantly threaten the health and vitality of America’s forests.
Nearly 500 species of non-native bugs and diseases have been introduced in the U.S., and a new pest is introduced every 2 to 3 years! The Chestnut blight. The Asian long-horned beetle. The emerald ash borer. The gypsy moth. The hemlock wooly adelgid. Sudden oak death. The list never seems to end!
Unfortunately, I have seen the devastating effects of exotic, invasive pests on numerous occasions. A few years ago, I dedicated my summer to searching for mature chestnut trees (a once incredibly important species for the forest industry) to incorporate local genetics into the hybrid breeding program. Searching for these trees was like trying to find a needle in haystack! As a result of the devastating effects of the chestnut blight, mature, flowering trees are nearly nonexistent.
As if that wasn’t depressing enough, my favorite camping destination is rapidly changing for the worse. The hemlock wooly adelgid is wiping out all the beautiful hemlocks that speckle the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. With every visit, the death toll rises—the ghostly evidence can be vividly seen from the once beautiful, pristine vistas off highway 441.
Tree Farmers Harry and Vickie Pionke understand this tragedy better than most. In 2007, gypsy moth infestations and a prolonged drought completely wiped out more than 100 acres of their tree farm—destroying wildlife habitat and decades' worth of valuable timber growth.
Tree Farmers, such as the Pionkes, are often “land rich and cash poor,” with little disposable income. In other words, when the pesky gypsy moth destroyed their tree farm, it also destroyed their investment and future income, making it next to impossible for the couple to stage a fair fight.
Based on copious Tree Farmer testimonies and the sheer number of invasives continually attacking our forests, AFF strongly supports essential APHIS programs because investments in healthy forests today avoid tremendous and devastating costs in the future.
Take action today: ask your members of Congress to protect the health of our forests.
Update: You can read the letters submitted by AFF and 14 other groups, asking that Congress maintains funding for the 'Tree and Wood Pests' program under the USDA APHIS Plant Health program.
- U.S. House of Representatives letter [PDF].
- U.S. Senate letter [PDF].
Photo of pest-devastated Smoky Mountain hillside by Christine Cadigan.
