Montana to reap dollars for homeland security

Almost a half million dollars will come to Montana for agriculture-related homeland security.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced Montana will receive $121,685 for animal disease surveillance,
$252,991 for animal disease response and $50,000 for plant pest and disease inspection, according to a news release from U.S. Rep.
Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.

By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune State Writer

Gary Adams, Montana plant health director for the U.S. Department of Ag’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said the $50,000
will be used for a cooperative program with the Montana Department of Ag to improve early pest detection in crops.

"There have been rumors that we may get up to one more full-time employee," Adams said.

Dr. Wilder Clark, the Montana area veterinarian in charge of the inspection service, said he has not been given details on how the funds
will be used.

He did speculate, however, that the money may be used to boost surveillance activities at the Canadian border.

"Ag producers represent nearly half of Montana’s entire economic base," Rehberg said. "It is imperative that as we work to secure airlines
and shipping yards and waterways from terrorist attacks that we use equal diligence in securing our agriculture sector from chemical or
biological threats that could wreak havoc on the American farmer and our entire national economy."

The money coming to Montana is a portion of roughly $43 million in state grants and cooperative agreements the U.S. Department of Ag
is releasing to bolster food and agricultural homeland security protections.

The money is part of $328 million approved by President Bush and Congress earlier this year to strengthen the U.S. Department of Ag
homeland security preparedness.

The $43 million will fund efforts to strengthen the food supply infrastructure.

Of that, $20.6 million will be provided to state and university cooperators to establish a network of nationwide laboratories for rapid
diagnosis of animal disease threats; $14 million will be used to strengthen state capabilities to respond to animal disease emergencies,
primarily by helping states meet the national standards of emergency preparedness established by the National Animal Health
Emergency Management System; $4.5 million will be used to strengthen state-level surveillance for animal disease; and $4.3 million will
be used to assist states in detecting plant pests and diseases.

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