Release No.0365.98Remarks of
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
Asian Long-horned Beetle Announcement
Chicago, IllinoisSeptember 11, 1998
"Thank you, Senator Moseley-Braun for inviting me here today, for your work in the Senate on behalf of farmers and ranchers, and for being such a crucial member of our 'B-team' here. Mayor Daley, I want to thank you, too, and all the folks on your staff who are working so hard on this effort.
"Here in Cubs territory, I've got to say that the cooperation we've seen between the federal folks and the state and city folks has been a bit like watching Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. It's been all class; it's been totally focused on achieving one goal; it's been in a team spirit.
"I'd like to introduce some of USDA's team leaders: Mike Dunn is our Assistant Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Mike recently returned from China were he was working on this issue. Also with me today is Jim Lyons, Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment. These two and their agencies are leading the federal end of the anti-beetle effort.
"I also think we should all give a special thank you to Gary Albach who's in the audience today. Gary was the one who recognized the new beetle on the block -- actually, they were in the back of his pick-up. A lot of folks had seen the beetles, but Gary was the first to ID one, and alert authorities. Thanks to his good eye and quick action, we were able to get on this pest before it could devour more trees, and grow its population further. Thank you, Gary.
"And, I want to thank all the residents here for getting in on the act. Recently, I read about the signs in Ravenswood. They say, 'Move over Capone, Chicago has a new villain.' Then in big letters, it says: 'WANTED!' And, there's a picture of the beetle. Someone driving through might get confused, but it's important to 'know thine enemy.' Ours runs about an inch long. And, our mission is total eradication of this alien species. I know that sounds like a line out of the movie 'Independence Day.' But the real alien invaders are invasive species that make their way into our country, and threaten our economy and our environment.
"So as the president says in the movie, 'It is time we reclaim our independence.'"
"All in all, we've caught these beetles in 26 different places around the country -- three different areas here in Chicago -- mainly in and around import warehouses. Already, federal and state authorities have spent millions of dollars on eradication efforts.
"I can't fault these bugs for their taste in cities. Chicago has a beautiful treescape, and a lot of outlying forest. Unfortunately, that means these beetles are in hog heaven here. They aren't finnicky eaters. They feast on a wide variety of trees. But their favorite is maple -- the bugs basically see the tree as one giant can of syrup. And, maples make up about 30% of city trees.
"And, it's not just natural beauty that's at stake. Threatened species that call our forests home are at risk. We are also talking about potentially billions of dollars in economic losses -- from the timber industry to recreation and tourism to furniture manufacturers to the syrup industry.
" In short, this is one bad bug, and it's high time we turn these beetles into beetlejuice.
'Of course, that's easier said than done. There are no known predators for this beetle. There are no pesticides we know of that are effective. Unfortunately, that means destroying infested trees is the only way we've got to get rid of these pests. And, that's a real tragedy. I know some folks who would just as soon take a wrecking ball to their living room, as uproot a favorite old tree. But if you understand how these beetles live, and feed on a tree at every stage of their life, you know that once the beetles settle in, that tree's days are numbered. So the focus, then, has to shift to protecting other healthy trees.
"I want to praise Mayor Daley for his commitment to reforest the area once we get the 'all clear.' And, I want to thank Senator Moseley-Braun for her efforts to get funding from Congress to assist in the replanting.
"So to get rid of this pest, we need to get rid of all the bugs that are here. But we also need to stop the bugs from arriving in the first place ... which is why I'm here today.
'USDA is committed to the eradication effort. We're here with technical expertise. We're here to help remove infested trees, and replace them with healthy ones. But we also understand, that we have to keep this big outside our borders.
'We know that this bug's preferred mode of travel is in wooden crating material coming over from China. Today, I'd like to announce that this Administration is taking emergency action to ban entry into the United States of all untreated solid wood packing material from China. What we are doing, in effect, is shutting down these beetles' 'Orient Express.' We will allow solid wood packing shipments from China only if they have been either heat-treated, fumigated or treated with preservatives -- which if you're a beetle means you just got bumped from your flight. Chinese exporters also, of course, have the option of using alternate packing materials that don't provide safe-harbor for these little stowaways.
'That said, I want to make clear that China is a valued trading partner. Anyone on the Chicago Board of Trade can tell you that U.S.-China trade has increased dramatically in recent years -- from $5 billion in 1983 to about $80 billion this year. Our intention here is not to disrupt trade, but to lock out an unwanted guest that poses a serious economic and environmental threat.
'This rule will go into effect in approximately 90 days. We're going to use the interim period to work closely with the Chinese to see that we achieve our goal of keeping the bugs out while also keeping the trade flowing as smoothly as possible. And, since the focus of this rule is on the point of origin -- on China clamping down harder on their end -- I'm hopeful that we can establish more secure procedures that ultimately enhance trade between our nations.
'So I'd like to thank you all for joining me, for all the hard work underway here to eradicate this pest, and for the sacrifices many of you have made. USDA is with you all the way in this effort. Together, we'll send this beetle packing, and reclaim our trees and beautiful landscape for the future generations that are their true owners."
Thank you.
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