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nimal and Plant HealiHinspection Service
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Publication No"1557 .
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Facilitating
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of
race, color, national origin, gender,
religion, age, disability, political beliefs,
sexual orientation, or marital or family
status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means for
communication of program information
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)
should contact USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202) 720—2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,
Room 326—W, Whitten Building, 14th and
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,
DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964
(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.

Issued October 1999

Front cover: Plant Protection and
Quarantine officers serve as the first line
of defense against invasive animal and
plant pests and diseases.

Photo credits: Unless otherwise noted in
captions, photos were taken by APHIS
photographer Ann Czapiewski.

Mission

Protecting American agriculture
and environmental resources is
the basic charge of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS).
APHIS provides leadership in
protecting and ensuring the health
and care of animals and plants.
We improve agricultural productiv-
ity, ensure competitiveness, and

contribute to the national economy
and the public health.

The Plant Protection and Quaran-
tine (PPQ) program in APHIS
touches the lives of all Americans
by ensuring the availability of
domestic and imported foods in
the marketplace, facilitating
agricultural exports, and contribu-
ting to the health of U.S. public
and private lands.

PPQ provides leadership in protecting and ensuring
the health and care of America’s agricultural
resources.

Scope of Activities

PPQ takes a lead role for APHIS in
plant health issues as specialists
in the safe movement of agricul-
tural products around the world.
PPQ also joins with other APHIS
programs, USDA agencies, and
Federal partners to mitigate the
introductions of, and adverse
impacts caused by, invasive
species—plants and animals from
abroad that threaten our ecosys-
tems. PPQ’s activities can be
grouped into three categories:

safeguarding plant and animal
resources from exotic pests and
diseases, managing plant pests to
protect plant resources, and
enhancing trade through
phytosanitary procedures.

Specific actions in support of these
categories include animal and
plant pest exclusion, smuggling
interdiction, trade compliance, pest
monitoring, risk analysis, and
areawide pest management,
including response to emergency
situations.

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U.S.

INSPECTOR

The Federal Government has maintained the

first line of defense for United States

agriculture since the early 1900’s. (Historical

image from the APHIS photo archives.)

Employees

About half of APHIS’ employees
work in PPQ. These 3,000
employees represent a wide
variety of academic disciplines and
are a highly educated and skilled
work force. Plant pathology,
entomology, botany, ecology,
zoology, veterinary science,
biotechnology, computer science,
statistics, and management are
only some of the areas PPQ
employees specialize in. The vast
majority of them hold college
degrees, and many have ad-
vanced degrees in the sciences.
PPQ employees work all over the
United States and in several
foreign countries. Management
and staff specialists work at APHIS
headquarters offices in and near
Washington, DC.

ge

PPQ focuses its organizational
structure on its 50 State plant
health directors, who receive
support from headquarters and
two regional hubs: the eastern
hub in Raleigh, NC, and the
western hub in Ft. Collins, CO
(opening in 2001). PPQ employ-
ees work closely with State and
local plant health officials and
regulatory authorities. To manage
the volume and scope of its work,
PPQ depends on help from State
cooperators and foreign counter-
parts. PPQ realizes that the
increasing interest and sophistica-
tion of State agencies, declining
State and Federal budgets,
accessibility to critical expertise,
and the reconciling of traditional
agricultural and emerging environ-
mental interests require teamwork
among all participants in plant
protection.

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PPQ employees represent a wide variety of
academic disciplines and are a highly educated

and skilled workforce.

Safeguarding Plant, Animal, and Environmental
Resources From Exotic Pests and Diseases

Agricultural Quarantine and
Inspection Program:

The First Line of Defense

The agricultural quarantine and
inspection (AQI) program is
designed to prevent the introduc-
tion of harmful plant and animal
pests and diseases, such as
noxious weeds, insects, fungi, and
parasites, into the United States.
These pests and diseases could
threaten the abundance and
variety of the U.S. food supply,
damage our natural resources,
and cost American taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars for
higher priced food and fiber
products and the cost of control
and eradication programs. PPQ
officers and technicians inspect

PPQ officers and technicians
inspect passenger baggage,
mail, ship and airline stores or
food supplies, vehicles, and
cargo in the Federal Inspec-
tion Services areas at U.S.
ports of entry. (USDA photo by
Larry Rana.)

passenger baggage, mail, ship
and airline stores or food supplies,
vehicles, and cargo in the Federal
Inspection Services areas at U.S.
ports of entry. In Hawaii and
Puerto Rico, and in some parts of
Canada and some Caribbean
countries, passengers undergo
predeparture inspection before
leaving for the U.S. mainland.

PPQ inspectors look for prohibited
agricultural products and associ-
ated materials that could serve as
pathways for introduction of
invasive pests. These products are
forbidden entry into the United
States or are allowed in only under
very specific conditions. Every
year, PPQ port personnel intercept
tens of thousands of insects and
tons of agricultural contraband and
associated material that could
contain microscopic plant and
animal pests and diseases.

PPQ employs more than 120 x-ray
machines and detector dog teams
at more than 20 airports and 3
land-border ports to increase the
efficiency of passenger baggage
inspection. The dog teams,
USDA's Beagle Brigade, work
primarily at international airports
and selected post offices for
baggage and package inspection.
The beagles’ average success rate
in finding concealed regulated
items is 90 percent. Beagle
Brigade teams and PPQ officers
have also become goodwill
ambassadors for PPQ, making
speeches and giving demonstra-
tions at schools and fairs or other
public events.

PPQ cooperates with the U.S.
Department of the Interior in
carrying out provisions of the

PPQ employees x-ray hundreds of thousands of
suitcases annually, looking for prohibited fruits,
vegetables, and meat.

Endangered Species Act that
forbid the import or export of
endangered plant species. PPQ
officers at ports of entry are trained
to identify these plant species and
take appropriate action.

PPQ officers also inspect and
sample seed imported from foreign
countries to ensure that it is
accurately labeled and free of
noxious weeds. International
garbage and ship and airline
stores must be inspected as well
to ensure that they are treated with
special care and according to
regulations so no plant or animal
pests and diseases accidentally
enter the United States. PPQ also
inspects and supervises the
cleaning of all military equipment
and troop supplies when the U.S.
military returns from missions out
of the country. (The household
goods of military and civilian

personnel moving back stateside
are also subject to inspection.)

All prohibited items seized from
inspections are examined,
rendered harmless, and disposed
of in an incinerator or grinder.
Large shipments of agricultural
goods found to be ineligible for
entry may be subject to treatment
or returned to the country of origin.
At large airports like John F.
Kennedy International Airport in
New York, seaports like Miami,
and land-border ports like San
Ysidro, CA, PPQ operates around
the clock. Congress has autho-
rized PPQ to collect user fees to
cover the costs of providing certain
services under the AQI program.

There are civil penalties for
intentionally misleading an
inspector or being caught smug-
gling prohibited agricultural goods.

Many people are not intentionally
trying to circumvent the law when
they attempt to bring in a prohibi-
ted item. But from time to time, our
inspectors discover large ship-
ments of prohibited agricultural
commodities or goods subject to
certain restrictions or treatment on
import. PPQ has organized special
teams of officers and investigators
to pursue individuals who smuggle
high-risk produce. The Florida
Interdiction and Smuggling Team
(FIST) and Closing the Los
Angeles Area Medfly Pathway
(CLAMP) Team have identified and
gathered evidence against many
alleged smugglers.

All prohibited items seized
from inspections are destroyed
immediately.

Dogs in USDA's Beagle
Brigade sniff luggage and sit
when they detect an odor
that might come from
concealed agricultural
material. (USDA photo by
Larry Rana.)

Emergency Response:

What Happens If a Pest or
Disease Gets Past the Front
Line?

No matter how effectively PPQ
inspectors cope with incoming
international passengers, mail,
and cargo, occasionally an exotic
pest or disease outbreak occurs.
PPQ takes immediate action to
protect U.S. plant and animal
resources by eradicating the pest
or disease and allaying fears of
our trading partners and the public
about the health of U.S.
agriculture.

PPQ has a special cadre of people
who deal with introductions of
exotic plant pests. Known as
Rapid Response Teams, these
groups have been mobilized on
several occasions to combat costly
infestations of the Asian
longhorned beetle, Mediterranean
fruit fly (Medfly), and Asian gypsy
moth. Rapid Response Teams also
swung into action when the
destructive “A” strain of citrus
canker was found in Florida
Orange groves and when Karnal

bunt, a fungal disease of wheat,
was discovered in Arizona.

These teams work in concert with
local and State officials to assess
the situation and develop a
strategy to determine the extent of
infestations and to eradicate the
pest or disease. Sometimes the
approach is as basic as removing
the host material and trapping
associated insects at the infesta-
tion site. At other times, PPQ
employs more sophisticated
methods like the use of federally
approved pesticides in limited
spray programs or the breeding
and release of sterilized insects to
suppress pest populations. PPQ
always looks for the safest and
most effective and environmentally
responsible strategy in these
situations.

The work of these Rapid Response
Teams is supported by the most
recent science and research
performed or sponsored by PPQ.
Methods and policies developed
for use In an emergency outbreak
situation must be environmentally
acceptable and in compliance with
Federal, State, and local laws

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PPQ always looks for the safest and
most effective and environmentally
responsible strategy to deal with plant
health emergencies. Here, PPQ is
rearing sterilized insects for release
into a quarantine area.

such as those governing pesticide
use and notification to enter or
treat private property. A Medfly find
or outbreak of Karnal bunt has the
potential to excite concern among
our trading partners, who need to
be reassured that U.S. commodi-
ties will not introduce pests or
diseases into their ecosystems.
Emergency response methods
must bring our exports into
compliance with international
standards as established by the
World Trade Organization (WTO)
and trade agreements such as the
North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA).

Rapid Response
Teams work in
concert with State
and local officials to
deal with introduc-
tions of invasive
plant pests like the
Asian longhorned
beetle spotted in
this suburb near the
Statue of Liberty.
(APHIS photo by
Ken Law, PPQ
officer.)

Managing Plant Pests To
Protect Plant Resources

Science, Documentation, and
Risk Analysis:

Mitigating the Risks

PPQ is uniquely capable of
delivering specific plant protection
services to manage plant pests
because of its infrastructure,
statutory authorities, and opera-
tional and technical expertise.
Ouiside scientists and researchers
often partner with PPQ to capital-
ize on its expertise and resources
when dealing with plant health
issues.

International standards that govern
trade in plant and animal products
must be science based and
transparent so trading partners are
not subject to political whims and
fair trade is possible. The United
States has a solid plant protection
infrastructure, thanks to the
internationally recognized work of
PPQ, and is a world leader in
setting phytosanitary and
zoosanitary standards.

When they intercept potentially
invasive plant pests, diseases, or
noxious weeds, PPQ personnel
(1) identify the pest or disease,

(2) assess the risks it poses,

(3) communicate the risks to
stakeholders, (4) consider
management options, (5) deter-
mine the pest’s or disease’s
“quarantine action status” (e.g.,
does it present enough of a risk to
take some regulatory or preventive
action?), and (6) implement the
final risk-management action. This
process has generated an
extensive data base of actionable
pests and has helped PPQ and its
partners develop effective strate-
gies for managing and mitigating
disease or pest risk.

PPQ scientists at headquarters
take the lead, along with field staff,
to identify plant pests and dis-
eases intercepted at ports of entry
and exit from import and export
cargo and from passengers or

PPQ scientists identify plant pests and
diseases intercepted at ports or collected
from domestic eradication programs.
(APHIS photo by Laurie Smith.)

10

carriers arriving from foreign
origins. These specialists also
identify organisms from domestic
APHIS surveys such as the
agency’s virtually nationwide
examination of wheat for the
presence of the fungus that
causes Karnal bunt. PPQ special-
ists also perform pest risk assess-
ments for foreign agricultural
commodities to determine the risks
associated with importing them.

PPQ classifies organisms as
quarantine pests using pest
analysis models to help prevent
the establishment of exotic plant
pests in the United States and to
facilitate international trade. PPQ
manages a pest-interception data
base to maintain a record of
potential pest introductions to the
United States, provide information
necessary to formulate PPQ and
APHIS policy, and provide
information to APHIS customers.
Scientists also support emergency
response efforts by conducting
genetic identification of pests that
can often point to their origin. For
example, a test could determine if
the genetic material of a trapped
fruit fly matches the material from
a previous outbreak or has been
introduced from somewhere else.

Each activity undertaken by PPQ
is examined within the context of
the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), the Endangered
Species Act (ESA), and the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
NEPA requires Federal agencies
to prepare a detailed statement,
which must be signed by a
responsible official, on the
environmental impact of every
major Federal action significantly

PPQ employs expert staff for
environmental monitoring and
services related to biotechnology.
(USDA file photo.)

affecting the quality of the human
environment (i.e., an environmen-
tal assessment or environmental
impact statement). Frequently,
PPQ programs require careful
environmental assessment and
public notification before opera-
tions can start. The ESA requires
an examination of the potential
impact of Federal activities on
federally listed threatened and
endangered species. Overseen by
the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), FIFRA regulates
the use of pesticides. As needed,
PPQ seeks special-use permits for
some of these pesticides—a
permitting process managed by
EPA. PPQ maintains the National
Monitoring Residue and Analysis
Laboratory and employs expert
staff who conduct environmental
monitoring and documentation.
The Laboratory’s activities are a
part of compliance with these
environmental statutes and ensure
the success of PPQ’s control and
eradication programs. Consulta-
tions between the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), EPA, and
other Federal cooperators and
PPQ resolve potential interagency
disagreement before it can affect
program delivery.

11

PPQ also provides certain
services that deal with biotechnol-
ogy. U.S. scientists use agricul-
tural biotechnology together with a
variety of laboratory techniques,
such as genetic engineering, to
improve plants, animals, and
micro-organisms. Since 1987,
APHIS’ role in agricultural biotech-
nology has been to manage and
oversee regulations to ensure the
safe and rapid deployment of the
products of biotechnology. Under
PPQ’s effective regulations and
practical guidelines, private-sector
firms can safely test genetically
engineered organisms outside the
physical containment of the
laboratory. PPQ officials issue
permits or acknowledge notifica-
tion for the importation, interstate
movement, or field testing of
genetically engineered plants,
micro-

organisms, and invertebrates that
are developed using components
from plant-pathogenic material.

Federal biotechnology regulations
also provide for an exemption
process once it has been estab-
lished that a genetically engi-
neered product does not present a
plant pest risk. Under this process,
applicants can petition PPQ fora
determination of nonregulated
status for specific genetically
engineered products. Some
examples of deregulated crops
include five tomato types modified
for delayed ripening; five cotton
types, one modified for insect
resistance and four for herbicide
tolerance; two soybean types
modified for herbicide tolerance;
and six corn types, three modified
for herbicide tolerance and three
for insect resistance.

PPQ biotechnology personnel
meet with regulatory officials from
other nations on a regular basis to
foster the harmonization of trade
regulations. These discussions
help ensure that requirements
imposed by other countries are as
consistent as possible with U.S.
requirements and that our trading
partners are kept informed of
regulatory developments affecting
biotechnology.

Other scientific information and
methods development are
gathered through PPQ’s Center for
Plant Health Science and Technol-
ogy. The Center, with headquar-
ters in Raleigh, NC, serves as the
umbrella organization for various
PPQ labs and the National
Biological Control Institute. Its
multidisciplinary staff concentrates
on analyzing scientific and
technical elements of plant
protection programs and systems,
and identifying needs and appro-
priate ways to meet present and
future phytosanitary challenges.
PPQ forges collaborative working
partnerships with Federal and
State agencies, academic institu-
tions, and the private sector to
accomplish its work.

PPQ carries out methods develop-
ment to translate research findings
into operational program activities
at 10 different field stations known
as plant protection centers. These
field stations are located at
Edinburg, TX, Gulfport and
Starkville, MS, Gainesville and
Miami, FL, Waimanalo, HI, Otis
ANGB (Cape Cod), MA, Phoenix,
AZ, and Oxford, NC. There is one
PPQ methods group working

PPQ employees and cooperators distribute
parasites of leafy spurge in Montana rangeland
where this exotic weed has displaced native
forage plants.

outside the country, in Guatemala.
PPQ also works collaboratively on
international research projects with
organizations like the North
American Plant Pest Organization
and other cooperators or trading
partners. New pest advisory
groups, science panels, and other
ad hoc advisory and regulatory
organizations are formed by PPQ
to respond to new pest finds,
evaluate current pest programs,
and deal with other phytosanitary
issues.

Monitoring and Managing
Certain Pests: Keeping the
Damage Under Control

PPQ is also responsible for the
operational aspects of APHIS’
biological control programs, which
mobilize the natural enemies of
weeds and pests—foes such as
predatory beetles, parasites, and
diseases. PPQ biological control
laboratories are located at Niles,
Ml, Mission, TX, and Bozeman,
MT. The National Biological
Control Institute (NBCI), formed in

1990 and now a part of PPQ’s
Center for Plant Health Science
and Technology, facilitates
biocontrol efforts throughout the
country. Its mission is to promote,
facilitate, and provide leadership
for biological control. NBCI’s main
work is to compile and release
technical information and coordi-
nate the work needed to find,
identify, and augment or distribute
new biological control agents.
NBCI publicizes significant
activities, cosponsors and partici-
pates in meetings and exhibitions,
encourages documentation and
evaluation of biological control
releases, and provides training in
and educational resources on
biological control.

Various agencies have success-
fully cooperated on biocontrol
projects. For example, several
decades ago, scientists from
USDA's Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) found in Europe six
species of stingless wasps that
keep alfalfa weevils in check. In

13

14

Bioconirol agents—natural enemies of
plani pests—are identified, collected,
and released by PPQ employees.
(APHIS phoio by Laurie Smith.)

1980, PPQ and APHIS took on the
job of placing those beneficial
wasps across the United States.
By 1989, PPQ, APHIS, and its
cooperaiors had raised and
distributed about 17 million wasps.
Today these beneficial wasps are
within reach of virtually every
alfalfa field in the country. Other
PPQ biocontrol programs currently
underway in cooperation with
State agencies include efforts
against the cereal leaf beetle.
sweet potato whitefly, Russian
wheat aphid, euonymus scale,
brown citrus aphid, leafy spurge,
diffuse and spotted knapweed, and
purple loosestrife.

sam tion to its biocontrol
ms, PPQ also has programs
t monitor and manage estab-

lished plant pests and invasive
species like boll weevil, gypsy
moth, and noxious weeds. To
monitor plant pests, PPQ works
with the States in a project called
the Cooperative Agricultural Pest
Survey (CAPS). Survey informa-
tion on insects and plant diseases
is entered into a nationwide data
base, the National Agricultural
Pest Information System (NAPIS).
Information from this data base
can be accessed from anywhere in
the country by persons with an
authorized account. PPQ has also
used the CAPS program to
conduct ongoing surveys for alien
invasive species.

By accessing NAPIS, users can
retrieve the latest data on pests.
NAPIS data can assist in pest
forecasting, early pest warning,
quicker and more precise delimit-
ing efforts, and better planning for
plant pest eradication or control
efforts. Survey data—which can
reflect the absence as well as the
presence of pests—also help U.S.
exports, assuring foreign countries
that our commodities are free of
specific pests and diseases. More
than a million records are in the
NAPIS data base. About 200
Federal and State agencies use
NAPIS. lis data can be down-
loaded and analyzed with geo-
graphic information systems to
provide graphic representation of
information. For example, loca-
tions of pine shoot beetle detec-
tions can be shown graphically to
indicate where and how often
surveys have been conducted for
the beetle.

PPQ carries out several coopera-
tive programs against domestic

plant pests and diseases. Coop-
erative efforts have eradicated
witchweed, a parasitic plant that
attacks corn and other crops, from
more than 98 percent of the
Originally infested area in North and
South Carolina. PPQ efforts against
the gypsy moth focus on stopping
the artificial spread of this tree-
destroying caterpillar when outdoor
household items are moved from
infested areas. To find better and
more effective ways of controlling
rangeland grasshoppers in the
Great Plains and Intermountain
West, PPQ headed a 5-year
integrated pest management, or
IPM, project.

Boll weevils, the long-time scourge
of cotton producers, have been

eliminated from Virginia, the
Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, south
Alabama, California, and Arizona
through a combination of pesti-
cides, attractants, and cultural
methods. Programs now underway
in Alabama, Tennessee, Missis-
sippi, and Texas are also making
good progress against the weevil.

Other plant pests or invasive
species that PPQ is working to
manage or eradicate include the
Mexican fruit fly in the lower Rio
Grande Valley in Texas, grasshop-
pers and Mormon crickets, several
honeybee pests, noxious weeds,
and pink bollworm. PPQ becomes
involved with new insects or plant
diseases that present an economic
threat to American agriculture or a
threat to the natural environment.

PPQ employees and cooperators mapped
Arizona wheat fields contaminated by the
fungus that causes Karnal bunt.

15

Mediterranean fruit fly

PPQ fights all types of plant and
animal pests and diseases,
including insects, fungi, noxious
weeds, and parasites.

(All images from the APHIS
photo library.)

Asian longhorned beetle

16

Plant disease

Imported fire ant

Gypsy moth

Japanese beetles

7

Enhancing Trade Through
Phytosanitary Procedures

Facilitating Imports:
Safeguarding the Diversity of
Available Agricultural Products
Over the years, Americans have
come to count on a diverse array
of agricultural products for their
dinner table. To satisfy the ever-
changing tastes of Americans, the
United States imports commodities
from around the globe. Local
stores now carry everything from
Mexican artichokes to Italian
zucchini. PPQ strives to ensure
that these imported products are
pest and disease free. PPQ does
this by regulating the importation
of agricultural products, as well as
helping to ensure that inspections
are performed for admissible
products and treatments are
administered to infested products
before they are released into trade
channels.

PPQ advises importers on
phytosanitary restrictions and
requirements and provides
importers with information (includ-
ing regulations, policies, and

procedures) on agricultural
commodities they wish to import
into this country. For instance, if an
importer wants to bring ina
shipment of flowers from The
Netherlands, PPQ officers provide
the importer with U.S. phytosan-
itary requirements in advance so
the flowers can enter this country
expeditiously.

Importers must obtain import
permits for many, but not all,
commodities before the goods
begin their trip to the United
States. Importers must also obtain
phytosanitary certificates for
certain commodities from the
exporting country. These certifi-
cates verify that the quarantine
officials of the exporting country
have examined the commodities
for pests prior to the commodities’
departure from the country.

PPQ’s permit unit provides
information to potential importers
on permit requirements and
processes applications for permits.

18

PPQ employees advise importers and exporters
and provide phytosanitary certificates for certain
commodities.

If an application does not fall
within APHIS’ authority, the permit
unit will try to find out where the
applicant can get more informa-
tion. The permit unit manages a
high volume of requests and
interprets the constantly changing
import regulations for myriad
plants and plant products.

For some commodities, no
acceptable quarantine treatments
have been proven to destroy pests
and diseases of concern. These
commodities are not allowed to be
imported.

Many plants and animals whose
populations are threatened in the
wild are protected by the Conven-
tion on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES). The
purpose of this treaty is to regulate
the commercial trade of endan-
gered and threatened plants and
animals and monitor trade
involving species that may
become extinct in the near future.
CITES-protected items must be
accompanied by special paper-

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work and are subject to careful
inspection at only certain PPQ-
staffed ports of entry.

PPQ enforces the plant provisions
of CITES and inspects all ship-
ments of plants and plant products
presented for importation at any of
its 15 designated plant inspection
stations located nationwide (or for
CITES plants, at other inspection
ports approved by the U.S.
Department of the Interior like
Laredo, TX). These plant inspec-
tion stations are located at
Nogales, AZ, New Orleans, LA,
San Juan, PR, San Francisco, San
Ysidro, and Los Angeles, CA,
Miami and Orlando, FL, Los
Indios, El Paso, and Houston, TX,
Honolulu, HI, John F. Kennedy
International Airport, NY, Seattle,
WA, and Linden, Nu.

At the National Plant Germplasm
and Quarantine Center in
Beltsville, MD, employees
specialize in postentry require-
ments (like quarantines) and seed
imports and facilitate the importa-

PPQ officers are trained to examine items to see
if they are protected under the CITES agreement.

PPQ officers work in some foreign
countries inspecting agricultural
commodities, like these mangos, before
shipment to the United States.

tion of plant germplasm for
research uses at ARS or other
official institutions. About 99
percent of propagative plant
germplasm imported into the
United States for research
purposes in small quantities by
ARS and their cooperators is
cleared at this station. Personnel
at this center do five main kinds of
work onsite: germplasm import
clearance, export certification,
postentry quarantine programs,
seed examinations, and quaran-
tine facilities security.

PPQ officers also work in some
foreign countries inspecting
agricultural commodities before
shipment to the United States to
facilitate the products’ movement
to markets. One of the most
successful of these preclearance
programs is in The Netherlands,
where PPQ officers have been
inspecting flower bulbs since
1951. In Chile, PPQ has been
inspecting all fruits and vegetables
destined for U.S. consumers since
1983.

Facilitating Exports:
Guarantees for Our Trading
Partners and Services for

U.S. Exporters

To facilitate agricultural exports,
PPQ provides assurance that U.S.
plants and plant products meet the
plant quarantine import require-
ments of foreign countries. This
assurance takes the form of a
phytosanitary certificate, issued by
PPQ or its State cooperators.

PPQ assists American farmers and
exporters by providing
phytosanitary inspection and
certification for plants and plant
products being shipped to foreign
countries. As a service, PPQ will
provide phytosanitary certificates
to exporters when required by a
foreign country. These
phytosanitary certificates verify
that the products have been
inspected and are pest and
disease free. PPQ issues two
kinds of phytosanitary certificates:
those for domestic plants and
plant products and those for

PPQ examines and certifies agricultural
products as free of plant pests and
diseases.

foreign plants and plant products
offered for reexport. Under
direction from Congress, PPQ
charges a user fee for issuing
phytosanitary certificates. These
fees cover the costs of providing
certification services, and export-
ers must pay at the time the
certificate is issued.

Because of the sheer quantity of
certificates that PPQ issues—
paperwork for more than 300,000
shipments each year—and
because many countries have
vastly different entry requirements
for agricultural products, PPQ
developed a data base to track the
phytosanitary requirements for
each country. This data base,
called EXCERPT, allows PPQ
officers, State and county officials,
and members of the agricultural
industry to access export informa-
tion. If a U.S. exporter wanted to
send grain to Mexico, for example,
accessing the EXCERPT data
base would reveal that a U.S.
phytosanitary certificate anda

Mexican import permit are both
required before the wheat leaves
this country. The same exporter
would also be able to find out that
there is no specific certification
needed to ship fruit for consump-
tion to Hong Kong.

The EXCERPT data base also lists
the status of endangered plant
species, commodities that are not
eligible to be exported to specific
countries, and any changes in
other countries’ entry require-
ments. EXCERPT identifies ports
that are authorized to certify for
export those endangered and
threatened plants protected by
CITES. For example, PPQ officials
at San Francisco, a CITES-
approved port, can certify endan-
gered cacti for export.

With the availability of such
extensive export information, U.S.
exporters usually run into few
complications with trade. However,
in cases where U.S. goods arrive
at a foreign nation and are denied

21

entry, PPQ will try to negotiate with
foreign plant health authorities on
behalf of the U.S. exporter.

PPQ also helps to expand markets
for U.S. farmers and exporters by
engaging in bilateral or multilateral
talks with foreign nations. For
example, after several years of
bilateral talks, PPQ reached
agreement with Japanese officials
who had previously prohibited the
importation of such U.S. products
as apples, cherries, nectarines,

inshell peanuts, and walnuts.
Convinced that USDA could
mitigate any potential agricultural
health threat and that the produce
would be of high quality, Japan
agreed to allow the importation of
these products. PPQ participates
in international plant health
standards-setting with organiza-
tions like the International Plant
Protection Convention and the
plant health bodies affiliated with
the WTO.

The EXCERPT data base provides extensive informa-
tion on the phytosanitary requirements of other
countries.

(2a

Future Trends

Growth in international travel and
trade shows no sign of slowing
down. Each year, PPQ officers
inspect an estimated 500 million
plants that are mailed, carried, or
shipped into this country by
brokers, travelers, and nursery
owners. Some of these plants
carry hitchhiking pests and
diseases that are not native to the
United States and could cause
great harm to the Nation’s agricul-
ture and natural resources. The
Mediterranean fruit fly (and a host
of other fruit flies), potato wart
disease, giant African snail, Asian
gypsy moth, and khapra beetle are
just a few of the harmful pests and
diseases accidentally introduced
into and eradicated from this
country in the past. PPQ must
continue be an organization that—
using the best information science
and technology can provide—
adapts quickly to a volatile and
changing global environment.

Invasive species introductions
have risen markedly during the
last century as modes of human

transportation became more
efficient and world travel prolifer-
ated. An invasive species is
defined as an alien species whose
introduction causes or is likely to
Cause economic or environmental
harm or harm to human health.
Invasive plants, animals, and
aquatic organisms often reduce
the economic productivity and
ecological integrity of U.S.
agriculture and natural resources.
Increased introductions of invasive
species not only have adversely
affected agricultural productivity
but also have damaged native fish
and wildlife habitats, renewable
resources, and human health.

A recent Executive Order focuses
on (1) enhancing and coordinating
Federal activities that prevent the
introduction of invasive species
and provide for their control and
(2) minimizing the economic,
ecological, and human health
impacts that invasive species
cause. The Executive Order also
established a National Invasive
Species Council, which is co-
chaired by the Secretaries of the

Growth in international travel and trade
shows no sign of slowing down.

23

24

Interior, Agriculture, and Com-
merce. PPQ is positioned to take a
leading role in the implementation
of this Executive Order and plans
to work cooperatively across
agency and departmental lines to
battle insidious invasive species
and prevent future introductions.

Also, under the influence of the
WTO, agricultural trade is boom-
ing. And PPQ’s dual role of
facilitating agricultural exports and
imports while safeguarding
American agriculture has become

even more crucial. PPQ export
certification efforts inspire much-
needed trust from foreign coun-
tries that they are receiving
healthy, pest- and disease-free
agricultural shipments. Moreover,
efforts on the homefront to protect
American agriculture ensure that
U.S. consumers can continue to
enjoy the tastes of America while
still sampling the tastes of the
world. PPQ touches the lives of all
Americans by safeguarding
American agriculture, fighting
invasive species, and facilitating
trade in the global marketplace.

PPQ’s dual role of facilitating trade while
safeguarding American agriculture has become
more and more crucial.

Additional Information

APHIS—PPQ has an open-door You can also write to USDA,
information policy. We encourage APHIS, Unit 1, Distribution Center,
people to learn about our activi- 4700 River Rd., Riverdale, MD
ties, and we try to share as much 20737-1229, and ask for available
information as possible. For information about Plant Protection
additional information on APHIS— and Quarantine. Or call the local
PPQ, visit our Web page at PPQ office nearest you. Its
www.aphis.usda.gov. This page number will be listed in the blue
provides hotlinks to details about pages of your phone book under
several PPQ functions, like pest “U.S. Government” and “Depart-
exclusion, tips for travelers, ment of Agriculture.”
biotechnology, and import—export

permits.

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Service Centers

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PPQ must continue be an organization that uses
science and technology to support its decisions and
adapts quickly to a volatile and changing global
environment.

25

Highlights in Federal Plant
Protection and Quarantine in

the United States

26

Prompted by a gift of Japanese cherry trees that was
found to be infested with oriental fruit moth, the United
States passed a Federal Plant Quarantine Law.

To facilitate more effective control of the movement of
plants and pests, predeparture inspection is established at
some sites like Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and the Federal
Plant Pest Act is passed.

One-stop Federal inspection is instituted at John F.
Kennedy International Airport in New York. Each inspector
is tasked with all Federal entry inspections: immigration,
public health, customs, and agriculture. Volume quickly
becomes overwhelming.

The Plant Protection and Quarantine Program is formed
and placed under the newly formed Animal and Plant
Health Service. (The word “inspection” was added to
APHS’ name in 1972.)

The United States becomes a signatory to the 1952
International Plant Protection Convention.

The United States ratifies the Convention on International
Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), and the Federal
Noxious Weed Act is passed.

APHIS—PPQ plant health officials and their counterparts in
Canada and Mexico sign the North American Plant
Protection Agreement, the basis for NAPPO.

The USDA Beagle Brigade begins with one dog team at
Los Angeles International Airport to detect prohibited
agricultural items in the baggage of international travelers.

The National Biological Control Institute is established to
provide leadership for biological control.

APHIS starts collecting user fees for AQI services.
NAFTA is ratified.
The WTO is formed.

APHIS’ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology is
established.

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY

“Tui

Beagles from New York’s John F. Kennedy International
Airport pose in front of the Brooklyn Bridge with the twin
towers of the World Trade Center in the background.
PPQ’s detector dogs help screen passenger baggage for
prohibited agricultural materials so that they don’t carry
foreign pests and diseases into the United States.
(USDA photo by Larry Rana.)