Comment from Dale God II

Your proposal for trade improvements between Guam and Hawaii are not plausible. Currently Orchid and plant importers on Guam have what they purchased in Hawaii treated with fungicides AND citric acid in Hawaii to ensure the kokee frog does not make it to Guam. All shipments must be bare root plants.. You failed to inform Guam Customs/Agriculture that the fungicide applied to these plants will leave the black fungus on the leaves and that the plants must be washed to remove the spots. Therefor GovGuam has been on a burning frenzy forcing importers to pay $$$ to have their inbound shipments from Hawaii incinerated. Tens of thousands of dollars have been lost and most Guam Importers have been bankrupted leaving only a couple with sufficient disposable funds to order shipments from Hawaii. Occasionally, GovGuam will allow importers to dip their orchids into self purchased fungicides while having to pay some certified inspector to stand and watch, flower and all must be dipped into this harsh chemical that was already applied in Hawaii. This chemical was ALREADY applied in Hawaii. Again the black spots will remain on the plant until someone washes it off. The state that Guam importers therefor get their orchids is in a near death state with the plant suffering severe corrosive damage and not immediately marketable. There is an age old treatment of orchids where cinnamon is used, which is a strong all natural fungicide. Purchase some powdered cinnamon from a grocery store, now sprinkle it on the orchid leaves with fungus. It will kill the fungus but you still see the black spots. Now wash the orchid leaf, you will see a depression in the leaf with a "white" hole where the black fungus was eating the leaf. Note how washing was a process to remove the fungus and that the fungus was dead while still sitting on the plant. Currently on Guam there are thousands of orchids with fungus on the leaves all over the island. We have a tropical rainy season which the fungus thrives in. Orchid growers and collectors know this and use their own treatment programs to remove the fungus to market plants just as home owners know they must use pressure washers to remove fungus from their homes, it is a fact of life on Guam. The fungus is not a new thing to the island. Your inability to control interstate commerce between Guam and Hawaii and allow GovGuam to keep destroying multi-thousand dollar shipments that were USDA treated and approved for shipment to Guam has stiffled the National Gross Domestic Product by destroying businesses on Guam and eliminated economic growth. Of all the people that lost the thousands per shipment they spent for plant and orchid shipments from Hawaii to Guam, plus incineration fees...you've destroyed families, economic prosperity, and and allowed a ridiculous cycle of waste to fume. Hawaii may have gotten a few sales to Guam but lost a long term market. GovGuam and the USDA do not both bare the burden of blame for this problem, GovGuam uses University of Guam professors to inspect plants and they are responsible for claiming why shipments were burnt. You should see what they put down for reasons, diseases that orchids and plants do not even get were scribbled on the papers and importers were forced to comply and even transport their own shipments to the incinerator that they have to pay for. Your proposed "Pest Free Zones in Hawaii" offer no help to interstate commerce as you fail to control GovGuam's illegal activities. Atleast fly to Guam and inform them that plants treated with fungicide in Hawaii are A-ok....the plants must be washed to remove all the fungus. Your inability to do that has led to likely near 6 figures of Hawaiian plants to be burned on Guam and your 1-2 lone importers left on Guam are just about bankrupt from having their money go up in smoke over your inability to practice Federal oversight on Guam.