AP26PPQFO000C415

Award purpose: This agreement supports infrastructure and survey costs to conduct the Yellow Legged Hornet survey and response in South Carolina.

Infrastructure costs include salary for one full-time state survey coordinator, one Yellow Legged Hornet (YLH) program coordinator, two full-time supervisory invasive species specialists, twelve full-time invasive species specialists, eight nursery district specialists, one invasive species program coordinator, one outreach coordinator, one or more regulatory special investigators, and five or more temporary, part-time field technicians, as well as vehicles for the program coordinator, outreach coordinator, and managers to travel to and from sites and conduct project-related business.

The objectives of these surveys are to continue surveilling at all known infested areas and newly reported areas.

The SC Apiary Program and dedicated YLH emergency response staff will place and monitor hornet traps.

Three thousand or more locations will be established in South Carolina in and around Yellow Legged Hornet infested areas.

Activities to be performed: The recipient will design and implement a general outreach program to educate the public on the threat of Yellow Legged Hornets.

Printed outreach materials, such as identification cards or flyers, will be produced and given out during survey operations to inform the public in high-risk areas.

Materials will include information about the threat that YLH poses and how to report sightings.

The recipient will utilize visual tracking/triangulation, visual surveys, thermal imagery, and/or radio-tracking techniques to locate YLH nests.

Trap checks for YLH will be conducted at a minimum of 3,000 sites regularly, following best-known practices.

Deliverables and expected outcomes: The goal of this award is to provide outreach, treat current infestations, and detect the presence of additional Yellow Legged Hornet infestations in South Carolina.

The criteria used to evaluate the project include the ability of the state cooperator to complete agreed-upon outreach, detection, removal, and survey work.

The anticipated results include the additional knowledge gained as to the presence of Yellow Legged Hornets, which will be measured by monitoring infested areas, survey data collected, timeliness of survey activities, and ability to report those results to USDA in the agreed-upon timeframe.

The goal is to monitor a minimum of 3,000 sites regularly, treat, and destroy all known YLH colonies.

Intended beneficiary(ies): This award will benefit South Carolina’s residents, agricultural industries, apiaries, forestry industry, and stakeholders.

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

Clemson University

AWARD PURPOSE: THIS AGREEMENT SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND SURVEY COSTS TO CONDUCT THE YELLOW LEGGED HORNET SURVEY AND RESPONSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS INCLUDE SALARY FOR ONE FULL-TIME STATE SURVEY COORDINATOR, ONE YELLOW LEGGED HORNET (YLH) PROGRAM COORDINATOR, TWO FULL-TIME SUPERVISORY INVASIVE SPECIES SPECIALISTS, TWELVE FULL-TIME INVASIVE SPECIES SPECIALISTS, EIGHT NURSERY DISTRICT SPECIALISTS, ONE INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAM COORDINATOR, ONE OUTREACH COORDINATOR, ONE OR MORE REGULATORY SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS, AND FIVE OR MORE TEMPORARY, PART-TIME FIELD TECHNICIANS, AS WELL AS VEHICLES FOR THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR, OUTREACH COORDINATOR, AND MANAGERS TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM SITES AND CONDUCT PROJECT-RELATED BUSINESS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THESE SURVEYS ARE TO CONTINUE SURVEILLING AT ALL KNOWN INFESTED AREAS AND NEWLY REPORTED AREAS. THE SC APIARY PROGRAM AND DEDICATED YLH EMERGENCY RESPONSE STAFF, WILL PLACE AND MONITOR HORNET TRAPS. THREE THOUSAND OR MORE LOCATIONS WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN AND AROUND YELLOW LEGGED HORNET INFESTED AREAS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE RECIPIENT WILL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A GENERAL OUTREACH PROGRAM TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE THREAT OF YELLOW LEGGED HORNETS. PRINTED OUTREACH MATERIALS, SUCH AS IDENTIFICATION CARDS OR FLYERS, WILL BE PRODUCED AND GIVEN OUT DURING SURVEY OPERATIONS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC IN HIGH-RISK AREAS. MATERIALS WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE THREAT T HAT YLH POSES AND HOW TO REPORT SIGHTINGS. THE RECIPIENT WILL UTILIZE VISUAL TRACKING/TRIANGULATION, VISUAL SURVEYS, THERMAL IMAGERY, AND/OR RADIO-TRACKING TECHNIQUES TO LOCATE YLH NESTS. TRAP CHECKS FOR YLH WILL BE CONDUCTED AT A MINIMUM OF 3,000 SITES REGULARLY, FOLLOWING BEST-KNOWN PRACTICES. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE GOAL OF THIS AWARD TO PROVIDE OUTREACH, TREAT CURRENT INFESTATIONS, AND DETECT THE PRESENCE OF ADDITIONAL YELLOW LEGGED HORNET INFESTATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE CRITERIA USED TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT INCLUDE THE ABILITY OF THE STATE COOPERATOR TO COMPLETE AGREED-UPON OUTREACH, DETECTION, REMOVAL, AND SURVEY WORK. THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE GAINED AS TO THE PRESENCE YELLOW LEGGED HORNETS, WHICH WILL BE MEASURED BY MONITORING INFESTED AREAS, SURVEY DATA COLLECTED, TIMELINESS OF SURVEY ACTIVITIES AND ABILITY TO REPORT THOSE RESULTS TO USDA IN THE AGREED-UPON TIMEFRAME. THE GOAL IS TO MONITOR A MINIMUM OF 3,000 SITES REGULARLY, TREAT, AND DESTROY ALL KNOWN YLH COLONIES. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): THIS AWARD WILL BENEFIT SOUTH CAROLINA’S RESIDENTS, AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES, APIARIES, FORESTRY INDUSTRY AND STAKEHOLDERS. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD: N/A

10.031

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

South Carolina United States

State-Wide

USDA-APHIS-10031-PPQFO000-26-0534