Whats New

Administrator Ray Martinez of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced he will leave the agency at the end of October, ending his term as administrator after being confirmed in February 2018.

Martinez, citing a desire to spend more time with family, will remain at the Department of Transportation and oversee redevelopment construction at the National Transp...

Fiscal year 2020 began on October 1. The federal government is currently operating under a temporary spending bill or “continuing resolution” (CR) that runs through November 21.

To date, little progress has been made in discussions among House and Senate leaders on final spending bills. Also, the Senate has yet to pass annual spending bills, including those that fund th...

No More ALB in the Big Apple--Earlier this month, USDA APHIS announced the successful eradication of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) from areas in New York City.

“I am proud to say that we have eradicated Asian longhorned beetle from Brooklyn and Queens,” said Greg Ibach, USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “This officially marks the ...

At a ceremony held Thursday, October 17, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Greg Ibach formally announced that the plum pox virus has been successfully eradicated from the U.S. AmericanHort was invited to speak at the ceremony, as was a representative of the Tuscarora tribe, whose tribal lands abut the international border in New York State. AmericanHort member Phil Baugher, of Adams ...

House lawmakers expect to introduce a bipartisan comprehensive agricultural labor reform bill as early as October 23. The core group of negotiators, led by Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), also includes Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Republicans Dan Newhouse (WA), Mike Simpson (ID), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), and Doug LaMalfa (CA).

Th...

AmericanHort submitted public comments on October 18 on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding trucking hours-of-service (HOS) changes. The proposed measures, aimed to give added time flexibility to commercial drivers, have been a priority at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as of late.

Flexibility with regard to HOS rules has also been a priority...

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale in SC – Clemson University Department of Plant Industry announced in September that crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS) was positively identified throughout the Columbia metro area.  This is the first confirmation of CMBS in the state.  The infestation was described as being ‘extensive’ and likely present for quite some tim...

IR-4 recently convened their biannual meeting to set priorities for research needs over the next two years.  Dubbed the ‘Week of Workshops,’ this year combined the food crops program with the Environmental Horticulture Program (Env Hort) for the first time in an effort to be more efficient for participants.  AmericanHort participated in the priority-setting process, in ...

Federal fiscal year 2020 began on October 1.  The federal government is currently operating under a temporary spending bill, or “continuing resolution,” that runs through November 21.  The annual appropriations process is unpredictable and the House impeachment inquiry could increase the partisan tensions we always face around the annual spending bills.

If Con...

On September 24, AmericanHort filed official comments on the Administration’s “notice of proposed rulemaking” (NPRM) that seeks to streamline and modernize the H-2A agricultural worker visa program.  The comments describe in detail where we believe the proposed changes wou...