[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 7, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 7, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican 
Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting 
the following information regarding projects that were included at my 
request in H.R. 2997, the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill:


         Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR)

  Account: Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, 
Education, and Extension Service, Research and Education Activities
  Legal name and address of requesting entity: The University of 
Florida, 226 Tigert Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611
  Description of request: $6,677,000 is included in the bill for 
Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR) at the 
Universities of Florida and Hawaii to address the problem of exotic 
pests and other tropical and subtropical problems in America's 
Caribbean and Pacific Basins. The major goal of the T-STAR program is 
to develop strategies and tactics to stem the invasion of exotic 
diseases, insects, and weeds into the United States. The recent 
introduction of asian soybean rust into the United States, along with 
the increasing threat of avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease 
entering the country, heightens the possibility of a terrorist-induced 
attack on the nation's food supply. There is an urgent need to identify 
exotic pests in other countries with which the United States maintains 
frequent and extensive trade and travel in order to: (1) determine 
potential avenues for the introduction of these pests into the United 
States, (2) develop technologies for the early detection of these 
pests, (3) find effective and environmentally acceptable methods for 
the eradication and containment of these pests if they enter the United 
States. Under the T-STAR program, scientists aggressively protect the 
nation against the growing environmental and economic threat of 
invasive exotic pests. The Universities of Florida and Hawaii represent 
important agricultural states which are prime locations for the 
introduction of exotic pests from other parts of the world. Previous 
funding has been provided by the Department of Agriculture for T-STAR 
in the following amounts: FY 2001--$3,800,000, FY 2002--$3,800,000, FY 
2003--$9,000,000, FY 2004--$9,000,000, FY 2005--$9,400,000, FY 2006--
$9,500,000, FY 2008--$7,400,000, FY 2009--$6,677,000.

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