WSNLA  

Sudden oak death positive environmental sample
During April, APHIS confirmed the presence of P. ramorum in a stream-bait sample taken from the Sammamish Slough near Bothell.  The sample was taken by DNR as a part of its routine environmental monitoring and analyzed at the WSDA lab.  A stream-bait sample consists of rhododendron leaves from a susceptible variety taken from a known non-infected site.  The leaves are encased in a mesh bag and suspended in flowing water at the sample site for approximately two weeks.  To date, none of DNR's other samples have shown positives.
 
Since the discovery, WSDA has been actively gathering more stream-baits out throughout the watershed.  We are attempting to verify whether the sample result is repeatable in subsequent samples, to begin to trace the limits of any infestation that exists, and to start tracing the source of any infestation.  The source might be as simple as fallen leaves from an infested nursery, or it might be a landscape infestation. 

If there is evidence of a landscape infestation, or if WSDA cannot trace the source of repeated positives, either federal or state quarantine of a portion or all of King and/or Snohomish Counties might occur.  The size and particulars of such a quarantine would depend on the situation. 

There are approximately 100 nurseries in the Sammamish watershed, and we are giving serious attention any possible sources, but there is no way of knowing at this time.

At this time, WSDA does not yet have enough information to make any predictions. 

Mikulski-Warner Bill Gives Small Businesses Critical Guest Worker Extension

Bill extends H2B visa cap exemption by five years

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and John Warner (R-Va.) today announced they have reintroduced their bill to provide a five-year extension to a crucial provision from her Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act that protects small and seasonal businesses from a devastating cut to their workforce. A last-minute, one-year extension was included as part of the 2007 Department of Defense authorization bill in the 109th Congress, but it expires on September 30, 2007.

“I have been fighting for years to help good guy businesses and workers wade through the unfair procedures that were part of the H2B visa process. I told small businesses they could count on me to keep fighting,” said Senator Mikulski. “Without these seasonal workers, many businesses would not survive – forced to limit services, lay off permanent U.S. workers or, worse yet, close their doors. This extension protects workers, and gives us another congressional session to keep up the fight until we make this cap exemption permanent!”

Senator Warner said, “This legislation is absolutely essential to protecting our small businesses and maintaining their positive impact on our economy. I am hopeful that this legislation will help small and seasonal businesses find enough workers to keep their doors open.”

The Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, signed into law by President Bush in May 2005, made significant changes to the federal H2B (non-skilled seasonal worker) visa program. Among the changes, it exempted returning seasonal workers from counting against the national cap of 66,000 people, created new anti-fraud provisions, and ensured a fair allocation of H2B visas among spring and summer employees.

The cap exemption provides significant relief to Maryland and Virginia’s seafood and cannery industries that often hire the same dependable workers every year. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that the cap has already been reached for the rest of this year. Without the Mikulski-Warner exemption, these businesses would have no way to bring in staff

ANLA Statement Regarding H-2B Cap for 2^nd Half of Fiscal Year 2007. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 33,000 H-2B visa cap for the final six months of Fiscal Year 2007. According to the USCIS, the final receipt date for H-2B applications was March 16^th. Any applications received after that will be returned.

"Reaching the semi-annual cap of 33,000 before the 2^nd half fiscal year start date begins on April 1^st underscores our need to for a meaningful lasting fix to the H-2B cap," said John Farner, ANLA’s director of legislative relations. "If Congress does not address comprehensive immigration reform, enforcement will continue and more and more employers will need to use the H-2B program as the only seasonal labor safety net. Our seasonal industry depends on this program and we cannot afford for the system to be stretched any thinner."

Earlier last year, Congress enacted legislation allowing "returning workers" to be exempt from H-2B cap limitations. In order to qualify as a "return worker," the worker must have counted against the H-2B numerical cap between October 1, 2003 and September 30, 2006. The USCIS has stated that the "return worker" petitions will continue to be reviewed as these visas do not count against the cap.

"We are hoping that Congress addresses the problems we are encountering in the H-2B system this year," continued Farner. "The unwarranted denials, delays and arbitrarily low cap are fundamentally hindering our industry’s ability to use this program."

To find out more information regarding the USCIS decision, please visit www.anla.org to view the full USCIS Press Release.