Dear Fellow APS Members:
Many of you may be aware of a recently released open letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack from Dr. Don Huber. Although Dr. Huber is a member of APS and is coordinating a meeting through APS on behalf of the USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS), Dr. Huber does not speak as a representative of APS or the NPDRS.
We appreciate Dr. Huber bringing forth an issue that he believes is of concern, and look forward to the availability of the data appearing in appropriate peer-reviewed outlets to support his claims so that the breadth of the scientific community across plant, animal, and human health can fully understand his concerns.
APS supports the scientific process in bringing information about new maladies and their etiology to light and hope that the approach has been undertaken in this case. The appearance of the supportive data in peer-reviewed outlets would certainly facilitate the engagement of the broader scientific community in this discussion. Additionally, as scientists it is good that we engage the public, stakeholders, and policymakers, but please remember that our Manual of Operations explicitly states, "Members of the APS speak only for themselves as professional scientists when giving opinions or making statements."
Sincerely,
John L. Sherwood
APS President
