Thank you very much, Secretary Babbitt, for the tremendous leadership you and your Department have shown on this important issue. Thank you, Secretary Daley, and the other representatives from the various agencies involved in this Council. And thanks to all of you for being here and contributing to this effort. The ultimate success of the Invasive Species Council will depend on the degree to which it draws on the knowledge of local government, industry, non-profits, scientists, farmers, private citizens and the environmental community.
Invasive species can be devastating to American agriculture.
And in a time like this, when our farmers and ranchers are already coping with some of the worst economic conditions they've faced in over a decade, destructive pests only add salt to the wound. They drive quality down and costs up. Every year, invasive species cost us 3 million acres the equivalent of two Delawares and billions upon billions of dollars in potential economic activity. We work hard at USDA to combat the problem. We have a broad range of ongoing research efforts on everything from leafy spurge to melaleuca trees.