**Team Tamarisk: Cooperating for Results**

**Introductory Remarks: Dr. Chuck Lambert,**

**Deputy Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, U.S.
Department of Agriculture**

**Wednesday, March 31, 2004; 12:30 pm**

**(5-7mins, after Interior Sec. Gale Norton video-taped welcome)**

It is exciting to be here with so many different federal, state, and
local representatives from such a variety of backgrounds. All of us have
an important link -- the battle with the invasive species tamarisk or
salt cedar.

As with all invasive species, tamarisk does not respect geographic or
jurisdictional boundaries, so to fight the invasion and minimize the
impacts, we need to do the same---team up, work together in creative
ways, and share expertise and resources to the fullest extent possible.

I am happy to be here representing Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman
and on behalf of the Secretary and myself, let me thank you all for your
support of this conference. Secretary Veneman has always stressed that
in the U.S. Department of Agriculture decisions are made using the best
science and data possible; that we work to encourage innovation and the
development of new, cleaner technologies; and that we must work to
improve the environment in a cooperative way with the involvement of
states, tribes, local communities, and individuals. This administration
believes that everyone is a stakeholder in our natural resources and
everyone can play a role in improving our stewardship of the land.

USDA brings scientific knowledge to understand and technologies to
manage the invasion of tamarisk. Also, we often provide technical
assistance to private landowners that want to control tamarisk.

USDA initiated a large consortium---the Saltcedar Biological Control
Consortium (the Department of Interior is a key part of this
group)\--directed at the development and implementation of new
biological control efforts for tamarisk. USDA is funding a number of
detailed scientific programs through a \$3 million competitive grant
that includes participants from several agencies of the Department of
the Interior and several universities.

Through this process, a new biological control program was developed
that uses safe, beneficial beetles from China and Crete that are
specific to tamarisk. These beetles have now been pilot tested for
several years at 10 sites in six western states. Due to success in these
pilot tests, efforts have now been expanded to several other states,
including Montana, New Mexico, and Oregon.

USDA is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of
Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, State Departments of
Agriculture and others to develop an area wide implementation plan that
may go to the field as soon as spring of 2004 in areas west of the
Mississippi River and above the 38th parallel. The work of USDA clearly
points to the value of biocontrol and enhanced and comprehensive
integrated pest management strategies.

In addition to biological control studies, substantial work is in
progress on tamarisk biology, seed germination ecology, competitive
interactions with other plant species, revegetation ecology, remote
sensing of tamarisk-associated plants, and on the effects of natural
enemy impact and spread.

Agencies in USDA working on tamarisk include the Agriculture Research
Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Cooperative State
Research, Extension, and Education Service.

As you can see, there is already a very significant degree of
collaboration, planning, and cooperation devoted to managing tamarisk in
the West and this Tamarisk Conference will help expand this activity.

USDA is excited to share its efforts, and more importantly, listen to
others about what has worked, what challenges are out there, what
opportunities can be shared, and how do we define and achieve success
against this invasive weed. How do we restore these important watersheds
and be good caretakers of the land and its resources?

The guiding principles you will be drafting over the next two days are
key\--so we all have the same framework---the same realistic ideas of
strategy, activities and performance measures for success. Another
critical area to work on at this meeting is site prioritization for
restoration and revegetation efforts so we can target resources
efficiently and have shared expectations about what to put into projects
and common understanding about what will result.

I hope that this Conference provides an additional benefit for all of us
by serving as a forum for reviewing the extensive research results
already being implemented and facilitating discussion of appropriate
research directions for the future.

It is my expectation that products of this conference will result in a
strategic framework for implementation of biologically-based Integrated
Pest Management programs for long-term, affordable, and successful
management of tamarisk.

Well, Team Tamarisk \-- I wish you success in this important
collaborative effort to jointly control tamarisk and restore your native
ecosystems. Thank you for your efforts.

It is now my pleasure to introduce Frannie Miller, the New Mexico State
Weed Coordinator. Frannie has served as the New Mexico Department of
Agriculture's noxious weed coordinator for the past five years and
during the past two years, she has gotten to work closely with the
state's tamarisk control program.