AP22PPQFO000C453

Award Purpose:
Invasive species are a major threat to biological diversity. California is particularly vulnerable because of the diversity of its agricultural production and the volume of trade in agricultural products with other states and foreign countries. Detector dog teams can be utilized to enhance pest inspection and surveillance activities related to plant products entering California through interceptions in parcels shipped via private carriers and the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Activities to be Performed:
Oversee the County Agricultural Commissioners (CAC) utilization of the 13 dog teams to intercept actionable pests at parcel centers like UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon, etc. Oversight also includes the procurement, maintenance, and care of the dogs, ability to follow guidelines, and the submission of samples for identification. CDFA's Plant Pest Diagnostics Center (PPDC) will perform laboratory diagnostics for pest identification and DNA sequencing. Data will be analyzed to determine the highest priority facilities based on the number of unmarked parcels detected by the dog teams. Accuracy of each dog will be reviewed each month based on the handler's daily data entry. Work will be performed with each team to achieve an accuracy rating of 90% in alerting on unmarked parcels containing agricultural materials. Training will occur for the dogs, dog handlers, and county personnel involved. CACs will also perform community outreach, demonstrations, workshops, and other public relations. CDFA will conduct five county audits to ensure all expenditures are paid and legitimate.

Deliverables and Expected Outcomes:
Prevention of the introduction of exotic pests and the protection of international export markets will be measured by the interceptions of unmarked packages containing agricultural commodities and the number of undesirable pest and disease samples collected.

Intended Beneficiary(ies):
An outbreak of disease or pest infestation could cost billions of dollars in pest eradication efforts and threaten the nation's and/or state's economy, domestic food, and fiber supply. This program will ensure that plant material shipped into California is free of significant pests and plant diseases.

Subrecipient Activities, if Known or Specified at the Time of Award:
CACs and their personnel will maintain the dogs locally and utilize them for pest detection at parcel facilities and assist dog teams with collecting and sending suspect samples to the PPDC lab for identification and data collection (Attachment C).

California Department Of Food & Agriculture

10.025 - Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) [USDA]

California United States

State-Wide

None