see also: in News Highlights:   Commissioner Basham Receives Homeland Security Award   Map Follows Progress of Southwest Border Fence Project (pdf - 2,543 KB.)   Deputy Commissioner Ahern Addresses Air and Marine Senior Leadership, Visits CBP Locations in Puerto Rico   Secretary Napolitano Pays 1st Visit to CBP, Thanks Work Force   CBP Helps Secure Presidential Inauguration Events   Deputy Commissioner Ahern Pledges Smooth Transition at Exporter/Importer Conference   CBP to be Featured in New ABC Reality Series (pdf - 18 KB.) ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP Creates New Position to Protect U.S. Agriculture

Conference Focuses Efforts to Protect American Agriculture

(05/02/2008)Keeping America safe from unwanted biological pests requires constant vigilance. It also demands strong partnerships between the various specialists who work in this area. This week, CBP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, industry stakeholders, state plant health officials and private industry representatives had a frank and open discussion on the progress of the coordination and cooperation between CBP’s agriculture programs and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)—how it’s working and how it can be improved.

Speaking at the conference, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that the department addressing stakeholder concerns about the agriculture mission by raising its priority level, providing an opportunity for government and industry to share their concerns, and creating a new CBP position to ensure the agriculture mission is not being compromised or distracted. In January 2008, the agency appointed Kevin Harriger as its first-ever Deputy Executive Director, Agriculture Operational Oversight. ( CBP Creates New Position to Protect U.S. Agriculture )

CBP Assistant Commissioner Thomas Winkowski, office of field operations, said he believes that CBP and APHIS have solid ideas for improving the delivery of the agriculture mission, recognizing best practices and identifying what can work. He quoted Commissioner W. Ralph Basham: “The better we work together, the more we succeed, and the safer our country and our agriculture will be. That’s the goal we share, and that’s what we are all working toward.”

For his part, USDA Secretary Ed Schafer said that the theme of the conference, “Success through Partnership,” is well chosen and he affirmed USDA’s commitment to the partnership with CBP of protecting America’s agricultural resources. Schafer also said that transferring agricultural inspection functions was a good thing. “Although it was not going to be seamless, it was the right move.”