plants

I’m Dr. John Clifford, Chief Veterinary Officer for the USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services.  Over nearly the last 26 years I’ve had the pleasure of holding numerous positions within the agency.  Here’s my story on how I got to where I am today.

I was born in Bowling Green, Ky. and my desire to become a veterinarian began while growing up on the family farmstead near Brownsville.  We raised mainly beef cattle and I always liked working with them.  There was one local veterinarian who would come out two or three times a year to our farm.  The highlight of the visits for me was being his assistant.  I learned to work the cattle and about vaccination and preventative treatments.  Those few encounters ignited a hankering that culminated with my career in veterinary medicine.

In late May, two zoos in central North Dakota were hit hard by flooding.  The disaster prompted the need for a swift evacuation of the animals.  In Bismarck, the Missouri River threatened to submerge the Dakota Zoo and its 500+ animals under as much as seven feet of water, and in Minot the Roosevelt Park Zoo was a potential target of the rising Souris River, which runs directly through the city.

During the height of the flooding, APHIS’ Animal Care Program monitored reports coming from the zoos and kept abreast of river levels.  Inspector Amy Jirsa-Smith contacted zoo officials regularly. She was on-site at both facilities, and helped corral some animals at the Dakota Zoo so they could be transported to other facilities.  However, she is quick to point out that the zoo staff at both facilities, with the assistance of several cooperating state and local agencies, state veterinarians, four neighboring zoos and the National Guard, had everything under control.

I’m Dr. Gregory Parham and I’m the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).  As a proud member of the veterinary profession, I’m happy to share with you that 2011 has been declared World Veterinary Year in honor of the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the first official school of veterinary medicine.

The veterinary profession is one I have been close to for decades.  In fact, my father served as a veterinarian for APHIS.  During his career, he worked in the field, assisted in disease eradication efforts, and even worked internationally.  Seeing what he did every day was a strong influence on me.  I learned early in life that becoming a veterinarian could be an interesting career.  I followed through with my goal of studying veterinary medicine and have determined that I was right.  Being a veterinarian is most certainly an interesting and fulfilling career, one that has exposed me to all sorts of experiences and opportunities.

It’s not unusual for devoted gardeners to share favorite plants and seeds with each other, even across international borders.  When doing so, it’s extremely important that these items don’t harbor pests or diseases that could harm other plants or the environment.  While the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Export Services staff mainly deals with commercial shipments, occasionally, we assist amateur gardeners with exchanging items internationally.

Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to help a noted Washington, D.C. couple, who are avid gardeners, take a special gift to their hosts across the Atlantic Ocean.  During their May visit to the United Kingdom,  President and Mrs. Obama presented Prince Charles of Wales and his wife Camilla, with a selection of  34 different types of plants and seeds from the gardens of Mount Vernon, Monticello and the White House.

Working to protect American agriculture is no small task. On any given day the people at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) work vigorously to protect livestock, fruits, vegetables and other commodities from pests and diseases. During the spring of 2011, I served as a legislative intern for APHIS’ Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA). Working in LPA, I helped APHIS’ efforts to safeguard the health and viability of America’s agriculture and natural resources by ensuring effective communication with Congress, the States, industry and stakeholders.

If someone told you there were simple things you could do to keep fish from dying and protect our waters, you’d want to know more, right?

Well, if you’re a boater or angler in the Great Lakes region, there’s a lot you can do to stop the spread of a fish disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). VHS kills freshwater and marine fish, including some species of bass, trout and perch.

The good news is you can help fight the disease by remembering to clean boats and fishing equipment. It’s also important not to transfer bait, water and mud from one waterway to another.

APHIS recognizes Ingram Carner with a certificate of appreciation for being the first person in the United States to spot the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB).

ALB experts Joseph Gittleman of APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarrantine program and Joan Mahoney of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets recognized Carner in April.

As part of my recent trip to Arizona, I had the opportunity to meet with Arizona cotton producers, Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Don Butler, and APHIS personnel at the Pink Bollworm Rearing Facility in Phoenix.

I was absolutely impressed with the importance and quality of the work being done, and with the partnership between APHIS, Arizona Department of Agriculture, Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, and cotton growers.

The pink bollworm is a serious cotton pest, and APHIS is working cooperatively with producers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, as well as cotton growing areas in Mexico, to eradicate the pest.

On Friday, May 20, thousands of people throughout the United States will celebrate Endangered Species Day.  It is an opportunity to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and the everyday actions people can take to help protect our nation’s natural resources.

Each year, wildlife researchers and specialists with USDA-APHIS’ Wildlife Services (WS) program help to reduce threats to our Nation’s more vulnerable animals and habitats. In FY 2010, WS efforts assisted 131 threatened or endangered species in 36 States, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Cuba. Examples of WS work with endangered and threatened species include the following:

On April 27, I was honored to accompany President Shelley of the Navajo Nation for the National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS) exercise held in Window Rock.  The NVS exercise provides countermeasures – supplies, equipment, medicine, vaccines and response support services – that states and Tribes need to respond to foreign animal disease outbreaks.

This exercise with the Navajo Nation marks the first Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-sponsored full-scale exercise on Tribal lands.  I want to acknowledge the enthusiasm and commitment of Tribal personnel to gain experience and identify gaps, shortfalls, limitations that could impair the Navajo Nation’s ability to receive, store and distribute NVS countermeasures in a real emergency.