Prince George's County, Maryland, is Home to at least 34 (update: 35) Federal Agencies

               While we wait for the new FBI headquarters to come to Prince George's County (we ARE working on this right?), I wonder what active steps we are taking to market what we have already here to work with.  There are approximately 34 federal agencies and departments, bureaus and organizations locate already right now here in our county. How are we letting the rest of the region and the country know what is here; what are we doing to identify the vendor opportunities as well as any private public partnerships that may be possible with these public agencies? Who is or are our local liaisons to each of these federal organizations? How are we working with them to "market" their needs to the private sector?

               I understand that none of this will fix our core community challenges; that working closely with existing federal agencies will not change any economic dynamics over night, but ignoring what we have most certainly will change nothing. With the looming 2013 federal budget cuts, we need to be strongly investing in private businesses to create new jobs. The federal government is not leaving but it may not be hiring. We need private enterprise to step in and build upon what we already have. 

               To do this we need to not only provide incentives but we need to speak about both obvious and not-so-obvious potential that our location , infrastructure and existing market platforms give us. And of course we need retail; my point is not that we should stop building malls, but that this cannot by itself be a solution to a vigorous sustainable Prince George's economy. Retail is vital part not the end all; retail follows innovation and money. Enterprise and entrepreneurs' do not follow  strip malls. We can do this; we can bring innovative industries from bioscience and agro tech as well as the information systems sector here to Prince George's County.

1.       

1.     National Aeronautics & Space Administration;

Goddard Space Flight Center

8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 - 0003

2.     National Archives & Records Administration;

National Archives at College Park (Archives II)

8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740 - 6001

Washington National Records Center

4205 Suitland Road, Suitland, MD 20746 - 8001

3.     Social Security Administration;

Camp Springs Office

6110 Allentown Road, Suitland, MD 20746

Greenbelt Office 7

401C Forbes Blvd., Seabrook, MD 20706

4.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service

Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 2350

5.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture;

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service,

4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737

6.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Center for Plant Health Science & Technology

9901 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705

7.     U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency

5301 Marlboro Racetrack Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

8.     Food Safety & Inspection Service

Civil Rights Division

George Washington Carver Center, Suite 1-2288 B

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5200

9.     Office of Field Operations

George Washington Carver Center, Suite 1-2288 B

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5200

10.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Agricultural Library

Abraham Lincoln Building,

10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 2351

11.  Natural Resources Conservation Service (National Headquarters)

George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

12.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture;  Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center

BARC-East, Building 509, Beaver Dam Road, Beltsville, MD 20705 - 0001

13.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Information Technology Center, IT Systems Operations Branch

George Washington Carver Center,

5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

14.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; National Technology Support Center

George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705 - 5000

15.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; Upper Marlboro Service Center

5301 Marlboro Racetrack Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

16.  U.S. Dept. of Commerce; Bureau of the Census

4600 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746

U.S. Dept. of Commerce; Bowie Computer Center, 17101 Melford Blvd., Bowie, MD 20715

17.  U.S. Dept. of Commerce; NOAA 

5200 Auth Rd # 2, Camp Springs, MD 20746-4327

18.  U.S. Dept. of Defense; Dept. of the Air Force;

Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington,

Allentown Road, Camp Springs, MD 20762

19.  U.S. Dept. of Defense; Dept. of the Army; U.S. Army Research Laboratory,

2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783

20.  U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security; U.S. Secret Service

James J. Rowley Training Center,

9200 Powder Mill Road, Laurel, MD 20708

21.  U.S. Dept. of the Interior; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Patuxent Research Refuge & National Wildlife Visitor Center

10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708 - 4027

22.  National Park Service; Fort Washington National Park,

13551 Fort Washington Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

23.  National Park Service; Greenbelt Regional Park,

6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3207

24.  National Park Service; National Colonial Farm,

3400 Bryan's Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607

25.  National Park Service; Oxon Hill Farm,

6411 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

26.  U.S. Geological Survey; Biological Resources Division

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,

12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708 - 4039

27.  U.S. Park Police, District 4

6501 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3299

28.  U.S. Dept. of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

Hyattsville Field Office

Aerospace Building, Suite 770

10210 Greenbelt Road, Lanham-Seabrook, MD 20706

29.  U.S. Dept. of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

National Laboratory Center

6000 Ammendale Road, Beltsville, MD 20705

30.  U.S. Attorney for District of Maryland; Southern Division

U.S. Courthouse,

6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

31.  U.S. Dept. of Labor; Wage & Hour Division, Hyattsville Area Office

Field Station, 6525 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20781

32.  U. S. Dept. of the Treasury; Internal Revenue Service

8401 Corporate Drive, Landover, MD 20785

33.  U.S. District Court for District of Maryland

U.S. Courthouse,

6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

34.  Smithsonian Institution

4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746 

35.  U.S. Government Printing Office; Warehouse

8660 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD 20707

Slavery and Horticulture - A Slice of African American History in Prince George’s County

Slavery and Horticulture - A Slice of African American History in Prince George’s County

Lectures by John Peter Thompson

Slavery & Strawberries; Murders & Mysteries

A History of Salubria ~ An Oxon Hill Plantation

Location:          Oxon Hill Library

                              6200 Oxon Hill Road,

                              Oxon Hill, MD 20745;

                              See map: Google Maps

Time:  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 7:00pm

Slavery and Horticulture:  A History of Salubria ~ An Oxon Hill Plantation

February 15, 7 pm

Join the discussion about the economic, political, horticultural and social history of one of Oxon Hill’s largest plantations, Salubria and its international recognition in the development of many plant species.

John Peter Thompson, historian and lecturer on American and European histories; his presentations have included discussions on the U.S. Supreme Court, modern management concepts and techniques gleaned from Civil War battlefields, and “First Ladies” of the White House.

John Peter  Thompson studied music composition and historical linguistics at the University of Maryland.  He left the University to successfully operate his own night club business for ten years.  He returned to the family nursery and garden center business in 1988 starting as a warehouse janitor and finishing as CEO and Chairman of the Board in 2008.  During this time he managed the perennial production and sales and was awarded the Perennial Plant Association Retailer of the Year award in 2000. 

He is currently a self employed contractor and consultant working with USDA ARS, APHIS, Forest Service and the National Park Service, as well as the Africa Trade Office of Maryland (Parker & Associates).His areas of expertise include document aggregation and review, meeting facilitation and bioeconomic policy and regulatory analysis.

He has an appointment as an adjunct instructor with the Prince George’s Community College lecturing and consulting on the creation of an "Environmental/Sustainable/Green Jobs” Workforce Development Institute. And finally, he is a principle investigator for the North East Mid West Institute in Washington, DC having written a book on national invasive species certification policies.

John Peter as been reappointed to the National Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee (NISC ISAC) having previously served as Vice Chair and Secretary.  He  is the Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association liaison to the Maryland Invasive Species Council and expert subject matter member of the State of Maryland's Invasive Plant Council.  He also is an active user of social media ‘Tweeting” daily @InvasiveNotes  with over 6000 followers as well as writing essays about social, scientific and philosophic issues  on his blogs, Invasive Notes (www.ipetrus.blogspot.com) and the Prince Georgian (http://princegeorgian.blogspot.com/).  

John Peter works as a volunteer advocate to politicians and policy makers as President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance – Beltsville (NARA-B.org - 501c4).  In this capacity he works with Congress, local governments and policy makers on behalf of the people and programs of USDA ARS and APHIS, in particular focusing on the Henry A. Wallace Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and the National Agricultural Library (NAL). 

John Peter is a former Chair of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce as well as former founding director and President of the Mid Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council; and former President of the Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association.  He currently serves as a technical advisor and national credit steward for the LBJ Wild Flower Center’s Sustainable Landscape Initiative (SSI or SITES).  At a community level he serves as the Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Historical Preservation Commission; as a trustee of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System; and director of the Prince George County Community Foundation

In Prince George's County a Little Economics is a Dangerous Thing

               Everyone is interested in economic development in Prince George's County, Maryland, and some even have an interest in economic development for Prince George's County.  But what is this thing we call economic development? Why do so many care about it, and why is it so important? Broadly defined, economic development is a  hopefully positive change in the level of production of goods and services by a community over a ore-agreed-to period of time. Economic growth either up or down is a function of the dynamics of  development.  Economic growth from development processes is usually brought about by technological innovation and positive external forces.[1]

               The engine of economic growth is the development of local businesses (firms) that are entirely dependent upon external or non county opportunities and factors. The identification of this economic base is definitionally part of :... the oldest, simplest and most widely used technique for regional economic analysis." in economic theory.[2] It is important to bear in mind that while the retail sector is a crucial component, it is a member of the non-basic economic sector that is composed of businesses and organizations which depend for the most part  upon local business conditions such as the size of our wallets and therefore the size of the federal budget.[3]  This is a direct reflection on the lack of focus on generating products and services in the private (basic) sector so that national and international markets would have to come here and leave their money here in Prince George's County.

               We need to find the political will to enable economic development strategies, policies and outcomes that firmly recognize that our economy will be strongest when it develops those economic sectors that are not inextricably linked to the local economy. Prince George's County needs to encourage, entice and enable business development that relies first and foremost on external markets.  A local economy wholly dependent upon local factors will have great trouble responding to economic down-turns as we can see firsthand. An economic development strategy of real-estate and construction only may be a tactic, but cannot be the end-all mechanism for long term growth.

               Some may say that Prince George's County is committed to development guided by the economy, the environment, and growth with equity. History tells us otherwise. Since the time of County Senator and later US Congressman Sasscer in the 1930s up to the present, development has been mostly about maximizing the sales  price of open space and generation of short term profits for the construction industry resulting in the creation of homes and retail service employment opportunities.[4]   The Sasscer political organization was far from unique for, in the 20th century, most Americans moved to cities, and the new form of properties ordinary people accumulated were their houses.

               Because property and the structures on it (real estate) were the fundamental engines of wealth creation, political realities compelled  responses that began to direct government to subsidize that property in the form of low- or no-interest mortgages and tax deductions for interest payments and to instigate policies,  plans and regulations which encouraged and enhanced property owners' equity positions at the cost of the needs,  concerns and demands of the greater community. Simply put, the demands and expectation of the few were and are met at the expense and needs of the many. So we do the least amount to maximize the greatest profit letting future infrastructure costs and neighborhood problems to be paid for by others tomorrow.

                We need to dream a little to get big things. We need the political will to imagine international technology markets that need the science already generated right here4 right now. Unlike many communities we do not need to go find the research; it has been right here in our backyards for over a hundred years waiting for us to take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century.              

  

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[1] InvestorWords. economic growth, Definition.  Copyright©2011 by WebFinance, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. [accessed January 28, 2012] http://www.investorwords.com/5540/economic_growth.html

[2] Florida State University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning - Planning Methods III: Forecasting.       

Economic Base Theory.  2004. [accessed January 29, 2012] http://mailer.fsu.edu/~tchapin/garnet-tchapin/urp5261/topics/econbase.htm

"For example, Boeing builds and sells large airplanes to companies and countries located throughout the world. Their business is dependent almost entirely upon non-local firms. Boeing does not sell planes to families or households locally, so their business is very much dependent upon exporting their goods. Manufacturing and local resource-oriented firms (like logging or mining) are usually considered to be basic sector firms because their fortunes depend largely upon non-local factors, they usually export their goods."

[3] ibid.

"For example, a local grocery store sells its goods to local households, businesses, and individuals. Its clientele is locally based and, therefore, its products are consumed locally. Almost all local services (like drycleaners, restaurants, and drug stores) are identified as non-basic because they depend almost entirely on local factors."

[4]  Julian Gross, Greg LeRoy and Madeline Janis-Aparicio. Community Benefits Agreements, Making Development Projects Accountable.  © Copyright 2005 Good Jobs First and the California Partnership for Working Families. All Rights Reserved. [accessed January 29, 2012] http://www.communitybenefits.org/downloads/CBA%20Handbook%202005%20final.pdf

"Therefore, while economic development projects are often heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars, they produce decidedly mixed results for city dwellers.While many of these projects bring sorely needed jobs and tax revenues back to areas that have been disinvested, there is usually no guarantee that the “ripple effects” of the projects will benefit current residents. Many new developments cause inner-city gentrification, pushing out low-income residents as housing prices rise. Other projects create large numbers of dead-end low-wage retail and service sector jobs, leaving low income, families, mostly people of color, mired in an endless cycle of poverty. While some Smart Growth proponents have advanced the notion that development should be governed by the “Three E’s”—the economy, the environment, and equity—few if any jurisdictions have pursued “growth with equity” policies in a systematic way. Consequently, even after investing billions of dollars in economic development, metropolitan regions continue to experience spiraling poverty, sprawling, unplanned growth, a crisis of affordable housing and declining quality of life for low and middle-income communities."

Is Prince George's County, Maryland ready to become the national economic center for biological and agricultural research, technology and innovation?

               Is Prince George's County, Maryland ready to become the national economic center  for biological and agricultural research, technology and innovation?  Surprise! - it already is; we just don't take advantage of the fact. Can we pause long enough from our focus on shopping malls to ponder the possibilities of working together to bring business to a national one stop solution to agroeconomic challenges facing the world today? Is it possible to collectively begin to take advantage of our core capabilities already here in the business industries of food, fuel, fiber, feed, forest and flowers? Why are we still not actively working to create international trade centers dedicated to businesses that need the scientific advancements are found here in the county every day?[1]

               Prince George's County is home to University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP), the US Department of Agriculture-Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (USDA-BARC) as well as the world's largest agricultural library, the National Auricular Library (NAL), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the MedStar Research Institute, the US Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Spaceflight Center (NASA Goddard) and Bowie State University (BSU). And most importantly, these world renown and world class institutions are ALREADY here.

               Where is our political will to sit down with businesses in Brazil and South American countries, China, India, and the countries of Asia as well as Africa discussing the creating of research and trade centers? The world needs food, and Prince George's County can provide a one stop center for all the food chain problems and challenges facing businesses, governments and their customers today and tomorrow. We fall over ourselves to bring federal and state agencies here, and I vigorously support this effort, but we already have tremendous resources and what exactly are we doing to leverage what we already have?[2] We can do both work to bring facilities here and work to find economic development opportunities with what we have.

               Did you know that U.S. wheat exports to Brazil were rejected in 2000 because of suspected Wheat Seed Gall Nematode infections. Scientist in Prince George's County at  BARC working with Brazilian scientists, convinced Brazil to reverse its actions. US national wheat exports to Brazil rose from $0 in 2000 to $76 million in 2001. This is an example of the power of Prince George's County. Do you like chocolate; do you think the rest of the US has a craving for chocolate? Prince George's County's BARC scientists, working with industry counterparts, discovered a fungus that inhibits a devastating disease on cacao trees. The $8.6 billion U.S. chocolate industry depends entirely on imported chocolate. The chocolate industry uses 40% of US almonds, 20% of peanuts, 8% of sugar, and more than 1.5 million lbs. of milk per day, all produced by U.S. farms, so a stable supply of chocolate helps U.S. farmers.  Do you know of any current plan to take advantage of this and bring businesses here to the one place in the US that can address any agrobiotech issue?[3]

               Perhaps the magnitude of the opportunity that Prince George's County is   overlooking is obscure. [4] The Agricultural Research Service according to its web site "conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provides information access and dissemination to: ensure high-quality, safe food and other agricultural products, assess the nutritional needs of Americans, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and provide economic opportunities for rural citizens."[5] What follows  is a partial listing of private business opportunities that Prince George's County could offer because the world's largest 21st century agricultural  research center sits here in this county hidden in plain sight:

	Method For Manufacturing Citrus Limonoids
	Gene To Improve Carotenoid Content In Food
	Using Mutations To Improve Aspergillus Phytases
	Method To Repel Mosquitoes And Ticks Using Naturally Occurring Compound
	Antioxidant As An Effective Lipid Lowering Drug
	Medium For Growing Campylobacter
	New Test For Detecting Campylobacter
	New Method For Suppressing Pecan And Peach Diseases
	Gene That Extends Fruit Shelf-Life
	Imaging System For Quality And Safety Inspection Of Agricultural Commodities
	Fire Ant Bait Attractant
	New Method To Aid In Producing Biodiesel Fuel
	New Slow-Release Fertilizer
	Dogwood Borer Pheromone
	New Method For Controlling Subterranean Termites
	New Method For Developing Molecular Pesticides
	Foot And Mouth Disease Vaccine
	Salmonella Vaccine For Poultry
	Technology To Incorporate Powdery Mildew-Resistance Into Cereals
	Environmentally-Safe Mosquito Attractants
	New Treatment For Protecting Ensiled Crops
	Attractants For Moths
	Modification Of Cereal Grain Hardness
	New Way To Prevent Plant Infections
	Method For Controlling Postharvest Pests
	Soy-Based Hydrogels For Medical Use
	Method To Improve Pathogen Detection In Poultry
	Antimicrobial Pathogen-Fighting Proteins
	Method For Removing Excess Flowers From Fruit-Producing Plants
	New Water Resistant Ant Bait
	Essential Oils Inhibit Mold On Wood
	Poultry Semen Extender
	Method To Quickly Genetically Identify Strains Of Most Common Cause Of Bacterial Gastrointestinal Infection: Campylobacter
	Soy Plant Compounds To Prevent Or Minimize The Development Or Growth Of Breast And Ovarian Cancer
	Methods And Compositions For Identifying Cellular Genes Exploited By Viral Pathogens
	H2n3 Influenza A Viruses And Methods Of Use
	Delivery System For Natural Sunscreen Ingredients Using Starch Mixture
	Adhesive Composition For Producing Wood Products
	Non-Thermal Pasteurization System Using Radio Frequency Electric Fields
	Method And Apparatus To Convert A Biomass Reactant Into Synthesis Gas
	Method And Apparatus For Monitoring Liquid And Solid Contents In A Froth
	Composition, Production, And Application Of Entomopathogenic Fungus For Insect Control
	Plant Promoter Sequence Capable Of Controlling Transcription In A Plant
	Starch Foam Microparticles
	Improved Technologies For Making Biobased Industrial Products
	Method For Increasing Poultry Hens' Egg-Laying Capacity
	High-Affinity Monoclonal Antibodies For Clostridium Botulinum Bacterium
	Natural Mosquito And Tick Repellent
	Biological Control For A Variety Of Food Sources
	New Method To Make An Industrial Lubrication Fluid

               Do I need to remind you of the impact of NASA? When is the last time you took a look at what Goddard Space Flight Center Patent Portfolio has in it?  NASA's Technologies Available for License is among the too many to list here opportunities for businesses one mobile robotic unit. The unit has multiple legs supporting a main body i.e. vehicle body, and moving the main body in forward direction and reverse direction about a base surface. The leg includes wheels to roll along the base surface. A drive assembly comprises a motor operatively associated with hip and knee joints and the wheels for independently driving pivotal movement of the hip joint and the knee joint and rolling motion of the wheels. The assembly comprises drive shafts imparting driving pivotal movement to the hip and knee joint and rolling motion to the wheels.[6]

               Why is it that despite the concentration of such impressive assets, "the number of bioscience companies and the impact of bioscience industry growth in the county has been limited compared with nearby jurisdictions which have fewer research and innovation assets?"[7]  We need a National Harbor type, hi tech 21st century, multi-tenant, flagship facility. We need to work with USDA's leasing authority  to create  incubators or aaccelerator/expansion offices and wet lab spaces for young bioscience companies, such as TAP incubator graduates, to keep them in the county, as well as other small, but growing companies that could be attracted to the county. We need to provide support services for start-up companies and entrepreneurs. We need to be reaping the befits of a highly competitive highly trained well paid 21st century work force. We need to start doing something after all the opportunity as only been here for over 100 years.

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[1] I am not against retail; rather I am for a balanced approach to economic development - I want a clearly visible active pursuit of 21st century businesses in Prince George's County. Retail is a secondary reason for businesses to locate; opportunity to create wealth is the primary reason and retail wil; follow the creation of wealth

[2] Thompson. Prince George's County works to be the next home of the new Headquarters of the FBI. January 17, 2012. [accessed January 28, 2012] http://princegeorgian.blogspot.com/2012/01/prince-georges-county-works-to-be-new.html

[3] USDA-ARS Current Research Impacts. 2006 [accessed January 27, 2012] http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/12000000/AboutUS/researchImpacts.pdf

[4] USDA-ARS Available Technologies

 [accessed January 28, 2012] http://www.ars.usda.gov/business/availtechs.htm

[5] United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Office of Technology Transfer & Partnerships. Program Aid 1706. Forming Partnerships With the Agricultural Research Service. August 2011. [accessed January 28, 2012] https://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/01090000/Partnership%20Brochure2.pdf

[6] Goddard Space Flight Center Patent Portfolio. Technologies Available for License. January 2012. [accessed January 27, 2012] http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/portfolio/

[7] The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Prince George’s County Planning Department. Prince George’s County Biotechnology Research and Development Center Study  Prepared by ANGLE Technology Group. September 2009. [accessed January 27, 2012] http://www.pgplanning.org/Assets/Planning/Countywide+Planning/Research/Biotech+Study+2.pdf