Durbin and Obama Ask USAD to Develop Plan for Fighting Spread of Emerald Ash Borer in Illinois; Senators Call for More Research Funding

DURBIN AND OBAMA ASK USDA TO DEVELOP PLAN FOR FIGHTING SPREAD OF EMERALD ASH BORER IN ILLINOIS; SENATORS CALL FOR MORE RESEARCH FUNDING

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

[WASHINGTON, DC] - Just hours after a destructive insect known as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was discovered in Kane County, Illinois, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a plan to curb the spread of this pest and report on their progress within fifteen days.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a bright green beetle that kills trees by burrowing into their bark and destroying the trees' ability to bring water from the roots to upper branches. Infected trees usually begin to die within two to three years.

"The discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in Kane County is troubling news. Illinois has more than 131 million ash trees, with about 20 percent of the trees in the Chicago area," said Durbin. "In the past few years, this insect has killed tens of millions of trees throughout the Midwest, and we need to get ahead of this infestation. I have called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with Illinois officials to develop a plan to meet this challenge."

"It's crucial that we act quickly to stop this infestation before it permanently alters the Illinois landscape," said Senator Obama. "Senator Durbin and I will do everything we can to prevent this pest from having the same devastating effect it had in other Midwestern states."

In a letter sent today to the head of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Durbin wrote: "As you know, time is of the essence. I would appreciate receiving a report within 15 days describing the specific plans APHIS will implement to combat EAB in Northern Illinois and the timelines that will guide the agency's response. Specifically, I would like to know what resources APHIS will commit to this discovery of emerald ash borer."

In a second letter sent to the Appropriations Committee which both Senators Durbin and Obama signed, they wrote: "To date, federal support for combating EAB has focused on eradication and limiting the spread… have yet to be adequately funded to control the pest, and it has continued to spread across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and into Illinois. The research station believes that with a total investment of $2.6 million, substantial progress can be made on identifying techniques to suppress the EAB and slow its spread."

The Emerald Ash Borer was first sighted in 2002 in Michigan. Forestry experts estimate that the Emerald Ash Borer has been responsible for the devastation of than 12 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Text of letters below:

June 13, 2006

Dr. Ron DeHaven
Administrator
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737

Dear Dr. DeHaven:

The recent discovery of the invasive pest known as the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Kane County is a great concern. The discovery of EAB in Kane County represents a potential threat to the ash population of Northern Illinois as well as to the nursery industry of Kane County, which ranks first in the state in revenue and is a significant source of employment.

I appreciate the ongoing efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to collaborate with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) in detecting and identifying the presence of emerald ash borer and activating a state-federal-local emerald ash borer response plan. The activation of IDOA's emerald ash borer response plan has initiated a public awareness campaign and an initial survey of the extent of the ash borer's presence in Northern Illinois. I urge APHIS to continue to work with its federal, state, and local partners to control and eventually eradicate this invasive pest, and to devote every resource needed to achieve that goal swiftly.

As the federal agency responsible for responding to the presence of the emerald ash borer, APHIS tested and confirmed the EAB specimen collected by IDOA. I understand you are working with state and local agencies to establish protocols to control and eradicate the pest. You can count on my assistance in your efforts to achieve that goal.

As you know, time is of the essence. I would appreciate receiving a report within 15 days describing the specific plans APHIS will implement to combat EAB in Northern Illinois and the timelines that will guide the agency's response. Specifically, I would like to know what resources APHIS will commit to this discovery of emerald ash borer. In addition, please send me a review of APHIS' emerald ash borer activities since the discoveries of EAB in Michigan in 2002, so that we can better understand the range of assistance USDA can provide.

I thank you again for your efforts to contain and eradicate this invasive pest. I look forward to hearing from you shortly as all of us work together to meet this challenge.

June 13, 2006

The Honorable Conrad Burns
Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior
187 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Byron Dorgan
Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Burns and Dorgan:

As the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior considers its budget for FY2007, we ask that you include $2.6 million for the Forest and Rangeland Research program at the U.S. Forest Service for Emerald Ash Borer research and technology development. An emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation is currently plaguing Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, and has just been identified in Illinois. This funding would assist the Northern Research Station in developing technology to control the pest.

To date, federal support for combating EAB has focused on eradication and limiting the spread of EAB from affected states through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) at the Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, EAB activities at APHIS have yet to be adequately funded to control the pest, and it has continued to spread across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and into Illinois.

There has been less focus on the science being conducted by the Forest Service which seeks to suppress the pest. In FY2005, the Northern Research Station budget for EAB research was $1.1 million, and in FY2006 it received $1.2 million. The research station believes that with a total investment of $2.6 million, substantial progress can be made on identifying techniques to suppress the EAB and slow its spread.

Until recently, the country had been fortunate that the Emerald Ash Borer infestation was bounded to the north, east, and west by three of the Great Lakes, which had helped facilitate mitigation efforts. However, we see with the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer west into Illinois recently, additional funding for EAB research is essential not only to contain the pest, but begin to suppress it. For these reasons, we ask that you consider this additional funding EAB science research through the Forest Service in FY2007.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=256954&&