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New Jersey is a major gateway and transportation corridor for the flow of global trade into and through the USA. Located in the midst of several major international ports, the risk of introduction of foreign invasive plant pests and diseases is a constant threat to the state's production agriculture industry and other forest and plant resources. The imbalance in labor costs and energy costs between the USA and developing countries has also lead to an increase in the importation of propagative stock from abroad, upon which foreign strains of plant diseases may be borne and enter our crop production system, causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

The Department, in cooperation with the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has stepped up its surveillance and control actions for new exotic pests and diseases, such as the devastating Asian longhorned beetle, Bacterial Wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, Sudden Oak Death caused by Phytophthora ramorum, Chrysanthemum White Rust caused by Puccinia horiana and Soybean Rust caused by Packyspora pachyrhizi.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 90th State Agricultural Convention, assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on January 24-26, 2005, request that the Secretary of Agriculture work cooperatively with the United States Department of Agriculture to eradicate exotic insect pests and plant diseases from New Jersey, or limit their spread when biologically possible.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the Governor, the Legislature and the Office of Management and Budget move quickly to identify and make available to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture the funds necessary to carry out effective eradication programs to protect the agricultural and natural resources of the State.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the United States Secretary of Agriculture declare an extraordinary emergency coupled with issuance of destruct orders when exotic insect pests and plant diseases are controlled, provide financial assistance to states cooperating in control efforts and declare that compensation will be provided to growers when rates are established and if the needed funds are available.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the federal Office of Management and Budget move quickly to identify and make available the funds necessary to adequately compensate for production losses those farmers and homeowners whose crops (including greenhouse crops) or trees must be destroyed in order to eradicate these pests and diseases from the United States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the United States Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Secretary of Homeland Security and their respective agencies cooperate fully to prevent the entry of foreign invasive plant pests and diseases through our international ports, and thereby protect the nation's production agriculture industry and other forest and plant resources.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the Governor, the Legislature and the Office of Management and Budget provide full funding to the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station for research and outreach in managing new foreign invasive plant pests and diseases that enter our crop production systems which can not be controlled through eradication, such as Sudden Oak Death and Soybean rust, to forestall untold environmental damage and crop losses to growers in New Jersey.