AP23PPQFO000C295

Award Purpose: The purpose of this agreement is to support Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's (PDA) Spotted Lanternfly Compliance and Enforcement Team's inspection capabilities by including a canine team. It has been determined that one of the most likely ways Spotted Lanternfly is spread is through egg masses, which can often be difficult to find. PDA added a Penn Vet Working Dog Center (PVWDC) trained canine and a handler in a regulatory role during 2020 and looks to continue improving inspection efficacy and efficiency.

Activities to be Performed: Work will start on June 19, 2023, with surveillance, property assessment, and control activities spanning the entire year through May 31, 2023. Control will include pesticide applications for active life stages from June through October 2022 and egg mass destruction from November 2022 through the winter of 2023. Goals include the treatment of all highest priority properties in conjunction and consultation with USDA operational staff. The project will create presence/absence records, a semi-annual and annual narrative report, and shared data among the community and stakeholders. Resulting negative data will enhance the establishment of "pest-free" zones. Insecticide-treated trees will be monitored using circle traps. Follow-up inspections after treatments will be done to determine the effectiveness of treatments. All required records will be entered into the NAPIS or IPHIS database by December 31st of the year of the survey so that these data can be included in the yearly Plant Board report. PDA will also administer the grant, coordinate the program activities, meet with local and federal officials, respond to public reports, provide training to affected communities, coordinate/assist with research activities, and report on findings and operational progress of SLF control.

Deliverables and Expected Outcomes: Properties posing a high risk of long-distance pest dispersal will be treated with an appropriate IPM strategy, likely to include the application of contact insecticides and systemic pesticides, which will safeguard PA agriculture from the spread of SLF.

Intended Beneficiary(ies): This project will support the green industry, other agricultural industries, and growers by reducing Spotted Lanternfly populations and by assisting with education and best management practices to prevent long-distance transport of the pest and to minimize crop damage. Control activity at railyards, trucking yards, trailer switching yards, interstate freight transfer warehouses, and similar locations will aid in preventing SLF introduction to new states. This project will also provide outreach and additional research to stakeholders at risk for SLF.

Subrecipient Activities, if known or specified at the time of award: N/A

Pennsylvania Department Of Agriculture

1. AWARD PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO SUPPORT PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S (PDA) SPOTTED LANTERNFLY COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT TEAM’S INSPECTION CAPABILITIES BY INCLUDING A CANINE TEAM. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE MOST LIKELY WAYS SPOTTED LANTERNFLY IS SPREAD IS THROUGH EGG MASSES, WHICH CAN OFTEN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND. PDA ADDED A PENN VET WORKING DOG CENTER (PVWDC) TRAINED CANINE AND A HANDLER IN A REGULATORY ROLE DURING 2020 AND LOOKS TO CONTINUE IMPROVING INSPECTION EFFICACY AND EFFICIENCY. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: WORK WILL START JUNE 19, 2023 WITH SURVEILLANCE, PROPERTY ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL ACTIVITIES SPANNING THE ENTIRE YEAR THROUGH MAY 31, 2023. CONTROL WILL INCLUDE PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS FOR ACTIVE LIFE STAGES FROM JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER 2022 AND EGG MASS DESTRUCTION FROM NOVEMBER 2022 THROUGH THE WINTER OF 2023. GOALS INCLUDE THE TREATMENT OF ALL HIGHEST PRIORITY PROPERTIES IN CONJUNCTION AND CONSULTATION WITH USDA OPERATIONAL STAFF. THE PROJECT WILL CREATE PRESENCE/ABSENCE RECORDS, A SEMI-ANNUAL AND ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT, AND SHARED DATA AMONG COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS. RESULTING NEGATIVE DATA WILL ENHANCE ESTABLISHMENT OF "PEST-FREE" ZONES. INSECTICIDE TREATED TREES WILL BE MONITORED USING CIRCLE TRAPS. FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS AFTER TREATMENTS WILL BE DONE TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENTS. ALL REQUIRED RECORDS WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE NAPIS OR IPHIS DATABASE BY DECEMBER 31ST OF THE YEAR OF SURVEY SO THESE DATA CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE YEARLY PLANT BOARD REPORT. PDA WILL ALSO ADMINISTER THE GRANT, COORDINATE THE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, MEET WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, RESPOND TO PUBLIC REPORTS, PROVIDE TRAINING TO AFFECTED COMMUNITIES, COORDINATE/ASSIST WITH RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, AND REPORT ON FINDINGS AND OPERATIONAL PROGRESS OF SLF CONTROL.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: PROPERTIES POSING A HIGH-RISK OF LONG-DISTANCE PEST DISPERSAL WILL BE TREATED WITH AN APPROPRIATE IPM STRATEGY, LIKELY TO INCLUDE THE APPLICATION OF CONTACT INSECTICIDES AND SYSTEMIC PESTICIDES, WHICH WILL SAFEGUARD PA AGRICULTURE FROM THE SPREAD OF SLF. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE GREEN INDUSTRY, OTHER AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES, AND GROWERS BY REDUCING SPOTTED LANTERNFLY POPULATIONS AND BY ASSISTING WITH EDUCATION AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO PREVENT LONG-DISTANCE TRANSPORT OF THE PEST AND TO MINIMIZE CROP DAMAGE. CONTROL ACTIVITY AT RAILYARDS, TRUCKING YARDS, TRAILER SWITCHING YARD, INTERSTATE FREIGHT TRANSFER WAREHOUSES, AND SIMILAR LOCATIONS WILL AID IN PREVENTING SLF INTRODUCTION TO NEW STATES. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE OUTREACH AND ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TO STAKEHOLDERS AT RISK FOR SLF.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD: N/A

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

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

Pennsylvania United States

State-Wide

USDA-APHIS-10025-PPQFO000-23-0396