[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17338]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            AREAWIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2015

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Hawaii, invasive 
species like the coffee berry borer, fruit flies, macadamia nut felted 
coccid, and others, have cost our local farmers and agriculture 
industry millions in lost revenue. Across the country, these pests, 
along with other invasive insects, diseases, and weeds, cause serious 
and harmful damage to our farmlands, agriculture production, food 
supply, environment, and public health.
  I have introduced the Areawide Integrated Pest Management Act of 2015 
to continue supporting long-term and sustainable solutions to fighting 
these noxious and invasive species.
  In Hawaii, AIPMs have helped increase the number of commercial farms 
and have helped local farmers increase their crop diversity, decrease 
the use of harmful pesticides, and manage the pests in a sustainable 
and cost-effective way.
  This legislation will help farmers, ranchers, and land managers all 
across the country reduce the impact of these harmful invasive species.

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