The 2003 budget closes the USDA Honeybee research labs in Beltsville, MD, Tuscon, AZ & Baton Rouge, LA. on October 1, 2002. This leaves the Weslaco lab. This is not yet a done deal. The House Agricultural Appropriation committee meets on Feb. 28, and the Senate Ag. Committee meets on March 14. I don't need to tell you guys what this means to the future of beekeeping. We all need to email our representatives (no mail because of the anthrax scare). http://agriculture.house.gov/members.htm will get you to the site where you can contact your Agriculture committee members in the House.