MAINE DELEGATION ANNOUNCES AGRICULTURE SPECIALIST ASSIGNED TO US-CANADIAN BORDER CROSSING AT JACKMAN

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Tom Allen and Michael Michaud today announced that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has agreed to assign an Agricultural Specialist at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing in Jackman. The lack of an Agricultural Specialist at the border crossing has caused a halt in grain and feed shipments since July 13, forcing trucks to travel an additional 10 hours, round trip, to cross the border at an alternate crossing point. Delegation members contacted the CBP last week requesting that an Agricultural Specialist be assigned to the border crossing as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate CBP's rapid response in this important matter. This situation has caused an inconvenience, and potentially threatened jobs and businesses associated with the agricultural industry in Maine," said delegation members in a joint statement.

Late last week, the Maine delegation sent a letter to CBP Commissioner, Robert Bonner, requesting that the agency expedite the process for hiring an Agricultural Specialist for the Jackman border crossing. In the letter, they wrote, "Livestock and dairy farmers in Maine rely on grain feed shipped from Canada through the Jackman border crossing. The lack of an Agricultural Specialist has resulted in a 10 hour round trip to the next commercial crossing for anyone wishing to import [agricultural products, such a grain]. Potentially, the jobs and businesses related to the grain trucking industry may soon be lost. Additionally, hundreds of farmers in rural Maine are severely feeling the impact of higher feed costs caused by this increased travel time."

Delegation members were notified that an Agricultural Specialist will be on hand at the Jackman border crossing as early as later today.

For more information, contact: Antonia Ferrier (Snowe) 202/224-1304 Jen Burita (Collins) 202/224-2523 Mark Sullivan (Allen) 207/774-5019 Monica Castellanos (Michaud) 207/782-3704