California lawmakers request emergency USDA funding to fight invasive pest threatening grape industry

Congressman John Garamendi joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Representatives Jimmy Panetta, Mike Thompson, and nine other California lawmakers in requesting emergency funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the threat posed by the glassy-winged sharpshooter in California, according to a June 22 announcement.

In a letter addressed to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the group asked for an immediate release of $32.2 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation. The funds would support efforts to contain and eradicate the glassy-winged sharpshooter, which spreads Pierce’s Disease and threatens critical agricultural sectors including wine grapes and table grapes.

The lawmakers wrote, “On May 19th, staff from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Fresno County agricultural commissioner’s office identified nursery stock infested with GWSS that was distributed to Costco locations in Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Kings, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. The vines were sold to customers across the state and are now believed to have been transported to residential homes in at least 38 counties. The movement of infested nursery stock into and near key grape-producing regions… significantly elevates the urgency of this response.”

They further stated: “According to the Wine Institute, the California wine industry supports 1.1 million jobs across the country and has an economic impact of $170.5 billion. Meanwhile, California produces 99% of table grapes grown in United States, and… California Table Grape Commission estimates that California table grapes have a crop value of $2.59 billion. This pest… pose[s] a potentially catastrophic threat… If left unchecked, the CDFA estimates that losses associated with PD/GWSS could eclipse $104 million annually.”

The requested funding would be used for immediate operations such as tracing, surveying, and trapping as well as ongoing programs over three years. The letter was signed by Garamendi—who has represented California’s 8th District since 2009 after previous service in both chambers of California’s legislature, according to Congressman Garamendi’s office—alongside Representatives Vince Fong, Jared Huffman, Doris Matsui, and others.

Garamendi is currently serving his eighth term representing California’s 8th district after first being elected in 2009. He previously served in both chambers of the state legislature. He was born in Camp Blanding, Florida, in 1945, lives in Walnut Grove, and graduated from UC Berkeley (1966) and Harvard University (1970).

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