Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/893182
INSIDE NWPCA W hen you see "Capitol Hill Corner," you think Washington, DC. While NWPCA spends most its time on Capitol Hill, we are also advocating for you in state capitols from Oregon to New York State. As you may recall last year, it took yeoman's work to defeat Oregon Bill HB4089. We were in Oregon's state capitol burning up shoe leather defeating the bill that would have mandated preferential purchasing for cardboard pallets. Now, we are in New York State, working against language that promotes the ban of imports of solid wood packaging – wooden pallets and containers. Advocates for the ban have repeatedly been told this is not a viable option and their actions undermine the current ISPM-15 program by suggesting it is not working. Thus, they are now moving from the federal to the state level to get similar languages passed or inserted into regulations at the local level. This is a slippery slope to product bans, but also an attempt at getting a toe hold to ban the import of wooden pallets and containers in New York State and its bordering neighbors. NWPCA Activities NWPCA staff has been working this issue since 2016. We've educated Senate and House Agriculture Committee Majority/ Minority professional staff, House Environment and Public Works Committee, and Energy and Commerce Committee. During our Congressional Fly-in this summer, NWPCA members canvassed and educated about 10% of the Members of Congress on Capitol Hill on this issue. To date, we were able to get language pulled from proposed Farm Bill legislation and prevent language banning solid wood pallets and containers from being introduced. Activities have now expanded to state efforts as noted below. • August 13-19, 2017: NWPCA's Patrick Atagi attends National Plant Board meeting in Savannah, Georgia; makes contact with New York State Plant Board Director. • August 22-24, 2017: NWPCA attends New York Invasive Species Council/Committee meeting in Albany, New York; meets with Empire State Forest Products Association. • September 8, 2017: NWPCA met at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) corporate office; educational outreach effort to ensure TNC understands NWPCA position. • September 11-15, 2017: NWPCA attends National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) annual meeting in New Orleans; speaks with New York State head of agriculture department on NWPCA position. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to educate those involved in the process and decision making on the importance and impact of the wooden pallet and container industry. This industry impacts jobs, safety, and the economy of the United States of America. We are not just an $11.5 billion industry, we move over $1.2 trillion worth of goods every year. The NWPCA headquarters is in Washington, DC for a reason... but sometimes we get to go beyond DC to 'get it done.' Capitol Hill Corner By Patrick Atagi, Vice President, Advocacy & External Affairs A b o u t I S P M The International Standard for Phytosanitary Measure No. 15 (ISPM 15), "Regulation of Wood Packaging Material in International Trade," is an international standard that was developed to help reduce the spread of wood-borne pests in solid wood packaging materials. ISPM-15 is written and controlled by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The IPPC is a part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It was adopted by the United States in 2005. 10 PalletCentral • September-October 2017 palletcentral.com