Agriculture has long played a key role in the history of Plum Island since Samuel Wyllys bought it from Chief Wyandanch, sachem of the Montauk Indian tribe, on April 27, 1659. Part of their agreement was that Wyllys would be able to pasture his cattle on the island free from interference. Plum Island Animal Disease Center is our first line of defense against such a disaster. USDA's Plum Island team cooperates not only with the international scientific community, but also with nearby facilities such as Yale University and the University of Connecticut to bring the latest scientific expertise to bear against the threat of foreign animal disease. It's also attentive to the input of industry groups such as the National Cattlemen's Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the American Sheep Industry.
Plum Island is itself a major player on the international livestock disease research scene.
And the island is home to an FMD vaccine bank supported by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Today, biotechnology has advanced to the point where such work could safely be done in a facility on the mainland, but the island setting offers the U.S. livestock industry an extra measure of protection. Since top-quality animal research requires that, at some point, a possible new vaccine or treatment be tested on the potential recipient species, housing those animals on the island, miles across the water from any commercial livestock operation, ensures that we won't accidentally endanger the nation's livestock population. This past summer, that transition was completed, and now a single building is home to both parts of USDA's foreign animal disease team.