1. Welcome and Introductions

The meeting was called to order at 9:15 am. Victor Velez from California welcomed the representatives from the US-Mexico Border States, which in turn gave self-introductions. California provided a folder containing meeting agenda and other documents (recommendations, action plans, letters, etc). Tamaulipas presented a document with notes from the Tampico meeting. A copy was given to each state coordinator.

2. Border Governors Conference Update

James Ahlers, Special Assistant for Mexico Policy to the Office of Arizona’s Governor, provided a brief background on the Work Tables and an update on the June 21-22, 2002 BG Conference. Highlights included:

• Distribution of the 2002 conference draft agenda, a Work Table project management chart, and a copy of the minutes from the 1^st planning meeting of the Governors Representatives that took place in Phoenix on August 16-17, 2001.
• Work Tables will be given the opportunity to meet the day prior to the conference.
• All Work Tables should come to the June 2002 meeting prepared to provide recommendations for the selection of the Co-Chairs for the following term. Lisa Elledge from Texas suggested that requests for nominations be submitted prior to the conference and a decision be reached prior to the Conference. The group seconded this suggestion and Mr. Ahlers will carry this request to the Governors representatives.
• Draft Recommendations for the 2002 Joint Resolution should be submitted by December 3, 2001. First draft of the plans of action should be completed by January 28, 2002. Revised draft of recommendations and plans of action to be submitted by February 25, 2002.
• The Border Governors is looking to "institutionalize" the website so it is available to all work tables and is exploring development of an intranet for all work tables to share information.

1. Demonstration of the Agriculture Work Table web site

Lisa Elledge from Texas provided a demo of the web site, which is being developed and hosted by Texas Department of Agriculture with assistance from Tamaulipas. This site currently has information on state contacts and contains several documents (letters, agendas, etc). States are requested to check the site and send suggestions and/or corrections to Lisa.

2. Review of the letters sent to federal agency Secretaries and Congressional delegations

Copies of the letters from the 2000 recommendations were provided as well as the response to these letters from SAGARPA’s Secretary Javier Usabiaga. It was noted that letters to US federal agencies and delegations were only recently sent by Arizona. It is unclear what will come from these letters. Tamaulipas reminded the group that a proposal to include federal officials in certain BG meetings was made at previous meeting. It was discussed who the appropriate federal official would be but a consensus was not reached. Texas and Tamaulipas coordinators will research this topic and provide feedback at a later meeting.

3. Review of the 2001 Joint Declaration Recommendations action plans and drafting of strategies for implementation

The group decided that each subcommittee would develop its own timetable and strategy. Three groups were formed, Animal Issues subcommittee, Plant Issues subcommittee, and State Coordinators subcommittee. The following are summary of the three groups:

Animal Issues Subcommittee:

Submitted by James Lenarducci from Texas via Dorothy Davidson-York from California

The Animal Issues Subcommittee attendees were: John Hunt from Arizona, Dorothy Davidson-York from California, Mariano Fuentes de la Peña from Coahuila, Alejandro Ramirez from Chihuahua, Rodrigo Morales from Tamaulipas, and James Lenarducci from Texas. They reviewed action plans and revised as follows:

RECOMMENDATION

That the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia Desarrollo Rural Pesca y Alimentacion (SAGARPA) allocate additional resources to support prevention, control and eradication programs for animal diseases.

ACTION PLANS

4. Continue assistance with tuberculosis eradication campaigns in Mexico-USDA Mexico State reviews. This is an ongoing process but the tuberculosis review teams will complete this round of the Mexico States reviews in January 2002.
   
1. Pressure USDA and SAGARPA to review animal programs without delay in Mexico States when requested. This could possibly be enhanced with the help of the United States Animal Health Association’s (USAHA) Binational Committee of Border States Veterinarians currently involved in the USDA Mexico State reviews mentioned above in action plan number
   
2. Ask SAGARPA to begin, in 2002, developing interstate animal movement requirements equal to the U.S.
   
3. Ask USDA, SAGARPA, and States to provide additional training programs between Border States for animal diseases. Additional discussions are necessary to provide for a Foot and Mouth tabletop exercise in the spring of 2002.
   
4. Request that the Border States be permitted to participate with the Binational Committee of USAHA in reviewing, making comments, and providing suggestions to Mexico tuberculosis regulation changes. The goal would be for a 2002 implementation.
   
5. Establish regional working committees at a State-to-State level for dialog between field regulatory employees to help identify needed changes, and submit recommendations to the Border Governors Agriculture Work Table. The goal would be to establish committees in 2002.

Plant Issues Subcommittee:

Submitted by Shashank Nilakhe, Texas

The Plant Health Committee attendees were: John Caravetta from Arizona, Mario Martinez from Tamaulipas, Greg Watson from New Mexico, Aurelio Posadas from California, and Shashank Nilakhe from Texas reviewed action plans and revised as follows:

1. Establish mechanism to communicate new pest detections within border states: (a) Exchange the pest detection information via e-mail between California and Baja California; Sonora and Arizona; New Mexico, Sonora and Chihuahua; and between Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua and Texas. Deadline to accomplish this task: December 2001. (b) Place the same information on the Agriculture Working Table website in the password-protected area. Begin this task in June 2002 (or sooner if feasible) and complete by December 2002.
   
2. Place the recent accomplishments in pest control on pests such as fruit flies, boll weevil, pink bollworm, etc. on the Agriculture Working Table website. Begin the task in June 2002 (or sooner if feasible) and complete by December 2002.
   
3. Communicate new quarantines and any changes in the import/export policies by placing them on the Agriculture Working Table website by June 2002 (or sooner if feasible) and complete this task by December 2002.
   
4. Hold a workshop on plant health issues in each of the 4 groups of states mentioned in 1 above. Make efforts to secure funding, and if funds are available, hold the workshops by December 2002.
   
5. Establish technical plant health committees, one each for the 4 groups of states mentioned in 4 above. Accomplish this task by March 2002.

Aurelio Posadas from California will arrange a conference call among the committee members on December 14 to discuss the status of tasks listed above.

The structure for the Agriculture Work table was reviewed. Any additional changes should be submitted to the co-chairs.

Future meetings were discussed. Each subcommittee will determine frequency of meeting and should be encouraged to meet via conference call. The following meetings for the year were determined:

• January 2002 - State Coordinators will have a conference call to draft 2002 Joint Resolutions and action plans.

• February 2002 - State Coordinators will have a conference call to review 2002 Joint Resolutions and action plans.

• March 2002 - State Coordinators subcommittee will meet in Austin, Texas to finalize 2202 recommendations and 2001 accomplishments.

• June 2002 – Executive subcommittee will meet in Phoenix, Arizona for the 2002 Border Governors Conference. A meeting of the Executive subcommittee prior to this conference was discussed. The coordinators subcommittee will address this item in early 2002.

The coordinators discussed a timetable to develop the 2002 Joint Resolution Recommendations to be in compliance with the BG mandate. The following deadlines were established:

• November 15, 2001 – Send request via e-mail to all state coordinators for concepts
  
• November 28, 2001 - Receive concepts back from all states

• December 10, 2001 – Send concepts to BG governors’ representatives

• January 15, 2002 – Develop action plans for recommendations

• January 28, 2002 – Send draft of action plans to BG governors’ representatives

• February 20, 2002 – Review action plans

• February 28, 2002 – Send revised action plans to BG governors’ representatives