BORDER GOVERNORS
Accomplishments – 2003

I.  BIOSECURITY RECOMMENDATION WORK WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) AND THE SECRETARIA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, DESARROLLO RURAL PESCA Y ALIMENTACIÓN (SAGARPA) TO COORDINATE A BIO/AGROTERRORISM DEFENSE PLAN FOR THE BORDER REGION. A Border Biosecurity Summit was held March 2-3 in Las Cruces, New Mexico with all ten border states and federal agency representatives.  Summit topics included Sentinel surveillance, agriculture/bio security issues (Avian Influenza, West Nile, Exotic Newcastle Disease), food safety, and agency responsibilities (both state and federal) in agro-terrorism.   Texas has developed a draft plan to tackle agro-terrorism. Once the plan is finalized it would be available for the BGC states for review and also would serve as an aid in development of state or regional plans. Mr. Mike Villanueva and Dr. Andrea Mikolon from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) participated in the annual Food Safety Seminar in Ensenada in August of 2003 gave presentations pertaining to agro-terrorism. Members continue sharing information using the BGC-AWT website.

II.  PLANT HEALTH RECOMMENDATION COLLABORATE WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) AND THE SECRETARÍA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, DESARROLLO RURAL, PESCA Y ALIMENTACIÓN (SAGARPA) TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO PREVENT, CONTROL AND ERADICATE PLANT DISEASES AND PESTS. Border states cooperated with USDA and Mexico federal and state officials on the development of a pink bollworm suppression/eradication program for New Mexico, West Texas, and Northern Mexico.  Once the program is approved, the CDFA will provide the necessary sterile moths from the CDFA rearing facility in Phoenix, Arizona. A letter was sent from the co-chairs of the BGC-AWT to the USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and SAGARPA Secretary Javier Usabiaga in support of increased funding for the pink bollworm eradication program. A letter was also sent from the co-chairs of the BGC-AWT to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and SAGARPA Secretary Javier Usabiaga for funding to increase the release densities of the sterile Mexican fruit flies in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. California and Baja California continued collaborating on bio-control efforts to eradicate pink hibiscus mealybug in the Mexicali Valley.  California also assisted with an independent review of trapping, sterile release and quarantine efforts in Baja California.   Border States conducted cooperative meetings to provide updates on current pest activities in the respective states.  These meetings included tours of eradication and regulatory activities such as the Oriental Fruit Fly Eradication Project. Members of the AWT Plant Health Committee cooperated with USDA and Mexico to provide a review of trapping, sterile fly release, treatment and quarantine activities of the Moscamed Program in the Mexican State of Chiapas as well as the detection and trapping program in the Mexican State of Quintana Roo. Members continue sharing information using the BGC-AWT website.

III.  ANIMAL HEALTH RECOMMENDATION COORDINATE WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) AND THE SECRETARÍA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERÍA, DESARROLLO RURAL, PESCA Y ALIMENTACIÓN (SAGARPA) THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO PREVENT, CONTROL, AND ERADICATE PESTS AND ANIMAL DISEASES. The AWT border state veterinarians continue to participate with USDA and SAGARPA in the Bi-National Tuberculosis (TB) Committee meetings that review changes of regional disease status.  The end result of this effort will likely be some significant modifications to the national TB program to address and eradicate TB.  Additionally, several AWT Animal Health Committee members participate as members and/or consultants of the USAHA TB Committee’s subcommittee on the “National Tuberculosis Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Eradication of Tuberculosis from the United States.”  This subcommittee formulates strategies, which address the disease status of TB in Mexican states.   Border states held bi-national TB and Brucellosis meetings in October 2003 in San Diego and January 2004 in Phoenix.  A bi-national Fever Tick meeting also took place during the 2004 Phoenix meeting.   The AWT Animal Health Committee participated in the USDA TB technical teams that review all Mexican Border States TB programs.  Seventeen reviews have taken place this fiscal year.  Some include: Dr. Andrea Mikolon from CDFA participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) TB technical team reviewing the Baja California TB program May 3-8, 2004.   In March and April 2004, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Drs. Dee Ellis, Brad Williams and Ken Waldrup of participated in TB reviews of Nayarit, Jalisco and Zacatecas.   TAHC Executive Director, Dr. Bob Hillman, participated in two meetings (March and April 2004) with animal health counterparts from Coahuila to discuss animal health issues of common interest, collaborate on Fever Tick issues, and to establish lines of communications across the international border.   TAHC hosted a delegation of Mexican animal health officials to review TAHC/USDA efforts to eradicate Hi-Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) from Texas during March 2004.  This review team evaluated eradication strategies and reviewed testing and surveillance results of the eradication effort. The California Avian Health Program, a joint venture between CDFA and USDA, produced educational materials (calendars, brochures, and videos) for the prevention of avian diseases, including Exotic Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza, which were distributed in California, Baja California and Texas to assist in their efforts to prevent and mitigate these emergency diseases.  (6000 calendars sent to Baja California) California and Baja California state veterinarians participated in California's multi-agency task force responses for the Exotic Newcastle disease in 2002-2003. TAHC hosted the North American Animal Health Committee meeting in Austin, Texas, during late March 2004.  This meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers from Canada, Mexico and the United States provided a forum for discussion of animal health issues common among the three countries. Mr. Mike Villanueva and Dr. Andrea Mikolon from CDFA participated in the annual Food Safety Seminar in Ensenada conducted by the Baja California Department of Agriculture in August of 2003 and gave presentations pertaining to agroterrorism. Members continue sharing information using the BGC-AWT website.