I've only been half-following this thread, so I don't know whether anyone's mentioned the mass transfer of USDA-APHIS inspection personnel to the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 following that department's creation. Rather than actually hiring staff, DHS drafted thousands of employees from other agencies, including many or most of the APHIS inspectors. This gap was never filled. Data suggest that the rate of introduction of plant pests and pathogens has increased several-fold since APHIS was gutted. http://cbsnews.com/stories/2011/… Russell Russell Stafford Odyssey Bulbs PO Box 382 South Lancaster, MA 01561 508-335-8106 http://www.odysseybulbs.com/