Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.,sent a letter to United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott offering access to appropriate General Land Office (GLO) managed lands to support the State and United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) response to the active, escalating threat of the New World Screwworm.
“With over 13 million acres of state land, the GLO oversees three-quarters of a million acres of grazing and hunting leases across the State of Texas. The GLO stands ready to partner with the USDA and the State of Texas by proactively offering access to our lands deemed beneficial for the rapid response to eliminate New World Screwworm,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “Agriculture plays a vital role in our state and national economy, and the GLO is always happy to offer solutions that safeguard our State and citizens. By working together and remaining vigilant, we can protect our food supply and preserve the health of our livestock and wildlife populations.”
Currently, there are five active cases of the New World Screwworm in Texas. In her letter, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., offered GLO-managed lands to assist response operations, including but not limited to:
- Placement of trapping infrastructure
- Deployment zones for sterile insects
- Field staging areas for United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Response Teams
- Livestock monitoring and specimen collection sites
- Temporary quarantine zones where applicable
The GLO manages over 100 active grazing and hunting leases across 25 counties in the State of Texas with nearly 4,000 head of cattle. Commissioner Buckingham concluded her letter by noting, “By working together and utilizing every available resource, we can protect Texas livestock, support our ranchers, and safeguard one of the most important sectors of our state’s economy. The GLO stands ready to be a helpful partner.”
Click below to read Commissioner Buckingham’s letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott:
COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM’S LETTER
You can also read the letter below.
