Now from the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Mr. Don Eggen.

MR. EGGEN: Welcome to Delaware. And Jack, I promise to keep it to five minutes. I heard with interest the two of you are former Michiganers. I'm a native of Michigan myself. I wish the Governor was still here. I'd like to point out that I went to the University of Michigan and our Governor's a graduate of Ohio State. So I'd like to point that out every opportunity I can.

I'm the Plant Industries Administrator at the Delaware Department of Agriculture and I serve as the State Plant Regulatory Official for Delaware. And today I'm also wearing a couple of hats. I'm a member of the National Plant Board and I'm the newly elected Chair of the Delaware Invasive Species Council.

I returned from Washington, D.C., where yesterday the first National Invasive Species Council meeting occurred chaired by Secretary Babbitt of Interior and Secretary Glickman of Agriculture and Secretary Daley of Commerce. This council was formed by an Executive Order signed by the President in February to develop a national invasive species management plan. Non-native invasive species are number two behind habit destruction for the decrease in species biodiversity. Each year in the United States, an area twice the size of Delaware is newly impacted by invasive species.

The National Plant Board is composed of all the states and Puerto Rico Plant Regulatory officials. The National Plant Board works very closely with USDA, Animal Health Plant Inspection Species, the Plant Protection Quarantine Unit to safeguard the environment from unwanted plant pests. State Plant Regulatory officials are responsible for conducting the pest surveys, enforcing state and federal quarantines, and assisting with the export of agricultural products by conducting the export certification inspections and ensuring phytosanitary measures of the importing country are complied with.

Our mission and purpose is the same as the International Plant Protection Convention to, quote, secure common and effective action, to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products and promote measures for their control. The National Plant Board also works to facilitate trade through harmonization of standards and inspections. And the Canadian/U.S. Japanese beetle harmonization plan is an example of USDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Plant Board industry cooperation. We believe phytosanitary requirements regarding plants, plant pests and plant products should be science-based. We fully support implementation of science-based phytosanitary standards.

The State Departments of Agriculture are also responsible for conducting pest surveys that determine pest-free zones. And this information is put into a national database that is used by the U.S. to determine where plant pests occur in the U.S. However, the U.S. is one of only a few number of countries with such an extensive database identifying where plant pests occur in the country. Now, while this information is very useful to our federal government and to the states, it can be used against the U.S. in agricultural trade. Many importing countries often do not supply similar extensive pest survey information. This is a concern of mine as a Delaware State Plant Regulatory official and of the National Plant Board.

Another concern we have is a country of origin issue. Plant products trans-shipped from one country to another and then into the U.S. need to be clearly identified. And specific examples is the European Union trans-shipping plant material to the U.S. through Canada is a good example of that issue.

A major pathway for plant pests to be spread around the world is through international trade. And agricultural products do not necessarily have to be involved. As you know, the recent infestations in New York City and Chicago of the Asian long-horned beetle in solid wood packing material from China is a good example.

One such issue that addresses the Asian long-horned beetle from China, preclearance of cargo at the port of origin of the exporting country would save time, money and help protect our country from plant pests reaching our shores.

The National Plant Board supports improved trade relations, both incoming and outgoing, but without compromising plant protection and protection of our environment.

Thank you.

MS. HOWSE: I do have a question on the preclearance of port of export. By that do you mean by our counterpart agencies in other countries? Let's say in China for the Asian long-horned beetle by USDA, U.S. government inspectors?

MR. EGGEN: In general, from the country that's exporting.

MS. HOWSE: Right. Just whoever does it.

MR. EGGEN: Yes.

MS. HOWSE: Okay. Good.

MR. EGGEN: That's a big issue. Waiting for it to come over here, so much comes into this country. Our agricultural inspectors from the USDA do a good job. I just saw some recent models that infestations of non-native species coming into countries, into a country, usually there's an exponential rate of increase. Now, it's still increasing in the U.S., but it's more of a linear, which means that we're making some kind of impact at our borders. But with the increased trade, more and more of this material is coming in all the time. And it only takes one.

Just look at the millions of dollars that are spent on citrus canker, are spent on med fly, are spent on gypsy moth, are spent on all of these things. That's what we're concerned about.

Many people today mentioned a level playing field. And it's the same thing with phytosanitary issues and standards. If everybody follows those, then we don't have a problem.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: What do you worry about the most? The plant department? You drive down 95, drive up 95 coming back from Washington, or going down, what do you not lose sleep over but gives you pause?

MR. EGGEN: Oh, geez. Any number of things. That's one thing that we actually rely on the feds, USDA, for is that pathway analysis. That's a huge issue. What things do we need to be looking for? I mean, we have a lot of things already here and established that cause us concern. Asian long-horned beetle, the only control is to cut down the tree and chip it up and burn it. There is no other control. There's some recent information they just announced yesterday a possible lure to attract the beetles. So that's a big concern. But anything that really affects the environment or our crops, etcetera.

I mean, just -- and the thing is that this goes the other way, too. The U.S. has done a very good job of shipping some of our plant pests around the world. That's why I say, a level playing field in phytosanitary standards and then enforcing them.

SECRETARY TARBURTON: Don, does the plant board address bioterrorism much yet?

MR. EGGEN: That was raised at one of our more recent Plant Board meetings and alls I can say is what the USDA officials told us is they're working, there's a project, they're looking into it. But they couldn't tell us too much more than that because it's security.

SECRETARY TARBURTON: So you're not getting into the avenues or methods of introduction into the United States?

MR. EGGEN: Not the National Plant Board, but USDA is.

SECRETARY TARBURTON: They're being tasked with this.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: We have a separate team on that. I can't discuss it here.

MR. EGGEN: Yes. Thank you.