Robert J. Melchior
Northeast Sheep And
Goat Marketing Program
Cornell University
COBLESKILL, N.Y. By
now most producers should be
aware that the sheep and lamb
checkoff commenced July 1. In
structions have not fully filtered
down to slaughterhouses and sale
barns yet, and so implementation
has been spotty at best.
Producers should be aware,
however, that when selling their
lambs or culls in slaughter mar
keting channels, they will receive
a charge of Vi of 1 cent per
pound.
These funds, along with addi
tional monies collected directly
from the slaughterhouses, will be
accumulated at the slaughter
level and forwarded to the
USDA, to be held pending for
mation of the Lamb Promotion
Board. The Board will direct how
the funds will be spent for lamb
promotion and research.
APHIS Discusses Scrapie Eradication
DENVER, Colo. The
USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) conducted a meeting
June 20-21 regarding the Nation
al Scrapie Eradication Program
for state veterinarians.
The purpose of the meeting
was to discuss methods for add
ing uniformity and simplicity to
ttw program, as well as increas
ing its overall effectiveness.
“We understand that they had
a very productive meeting and
came to consensus on a number
Nominations for the Promo
tion Board were due in Washing
ton July 5. The nominating com
mittee of Empire Sheep
Producers Association, after cau
cusing with other approved
Northeastern state sheep associa
tions, submitted the following
slate of nominees to the Secretary
of Agriculture; Producers
David Major (Vt) and Susan
Schoenian (Md); Seedstock
Jean Walsh (NY); Feeder Joe
Harper (WV).
The Lamb Promotion Board
will consist of 13 members select
ed by the Secretary of Agricul
ture from nominees submitted by
sheep organizations from around
the country. Three positions (of
the 13) on this Board will repre
sent slaughterhouses. It is antici
pated that the Secretary will an
nounce Board appointments later
this summer, with the Board
meeting to commence promotion
efforts by early fall.
of issues,” said Paul Rodgers, di
rector of animal health, product
safety and technical services for
the American Sheep Industry As
sociation (ASI). “We are very
pleased that APHIS is working
closely with their state stakehold
ers and we look forward to re
ceiving communication from
APHIS regarding the future di
rection of the program.”
ASI and several State veteri
narians have been urging APHIS
to engage in formal consultation
with states regarding the matter
for some time.
ASI Testifies At Congressional Hearing
On Department Of Homeland Security
DENVER, Colo The Ameri
can Sheep Industry Association
(ASI) participated recently in the
hearing held by the House Com
mittee on Agriculture concerning
the movement of the USDA’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspec
tion Service (APHIS) into the
proposed new Department of
Homeland Security.
ASI, along with the National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association and
the National Pork Producers
Council, collectively presented
testimony addressing the organi
zations’ questions and concerns
about the proposed move.
The organizations expressed
their support “to better stream
line the work...by different agen
cies to protect America from
Black Fly Spraying To Resume
Along Susquehanna River
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Helicopter spraying for black
flies on the Susquehanna River
and several tributaries in South
central Pennsylvania resumed
Tuesday, July 9, following a
break for security reasons over
the Fourth of July holiday week
end, Department of Environ
mental Protection (DEP) Secre
tary David E. Hess said.
“We suspended aerial spraying
for black flies over the long holi
day period as part of the Com
monwealth’s enhanced security
procedures,” Secretary Hess said.
“We now want to let the public
know we are resuming the spray
ing.”
Aerial spraying is scheduled to
resume on the Susquehanna
River on Tuesday morning, July
9. The spraying will begin in the
those who wish to cause interna
tional harm” and commended
the Administration for including
threats to the agricultural sector
in the proposed new department.
However, many witnesses stated
that numerous questions should
be addressed before “we can
make an educated decision on
what is best to ensure the contin
ued protection of American agri
culture.”
Agricultural organizations and
state ag officials expressed con
cerns on the effect of moving
APHIS into the new department
on “APHIS missions that do not
relate to protection from terror
ism.” These include existing
APHIS programs that have taken
many years to build and effec-
Selinsgrove, Snyder County, area,
and proceed south along the
river, finishing south of the
Marietta area in Lancaster Coun
ty. Spraying on the river also will
be done from Sunbury, Northum
berland County, north to the
Bradford Wyoming County line.
Spraying also is planned for a
number of creeks feeding the Sus
quehanna River. Areas to be
sprayed include Penns and Mid
dle creeks in Snyder and Union
counties, Mahantango Creek in
Dauphin County, Tuscarora
Creek in Juniata County, Augh
wick Creek in Huntingdon Coun
ty, and the Frankstown Branch of
the Juniata River at its conflu
ence with the Susquehanna River
and ending in Huntingdon Coun
ty-
In addition, spraying will be
conducted on the West Branch of
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 1 3, 2002 -A35
tively implement, and the many
APHIS tasks that are more do
mestic in their nature, such as
disease eradication, monitoring
and surveillance programs, along
with trade issues and programs.
“Members of the ASI executive
board at their June 22 meeting
discussed how the movement of
APHIS into the proposed new de
partment might affect key
APHIS programs of importance
to the U.S. sheep industry, such
as Wildlife Services,” said ASI
Executive Director Peter Orwick,
who participated in the testimony
to the committee. “Several law
makers and industry witnesses
mentioned the functions of
APHIS at our borders obviously
fit the new department while
other programs are less clear.”
the Susquehanna River from
Sunbury, Northumberland Coun
ty, to Williamsport, Lycoming
County; along Tunkhannock
Creek in Wyoming County; and
Loyalsock and Pine creeks in Ly
coming County.
“Because of rains that occurred
in May and early June, spraying
in much of the Susquehanna Val
ley was delayed because river and
streams levels were too high and
flows too fast for the spraying to
be effective,” Secretary Hess said.
“This has resulted in a larger
number of black flies than nor
mal, but the resumption of our
spraying operations should re
duce these numbers.”
DEP uses “Bti,” a naturally oc
curring bacteria, to control black
flies. This bacteria degrades
quickly in the environment and
does not harm the aquatic ecosys
tem.