Establishing Inter-agency, Multidisciplinary Areawide Pest Management Programmes

Pest management today usually comprises multiple complex tactics that transcend disciplines, geographical regions, climatic zones, production/management systems, production scales and economic strata. Solutions to priority problems involve research, education and extension professionals. But, equally important to project success are the users of the knowledge generated and the end-users of the \u27products\u27. Setting a direction for the future goals, IPM has been an important activity for the \u27community\u27 of constituents who share concerns for future pest management. Under the leadership of the USDA and land grant universities, a road map for IPM has been developed with extensive participation of diverse stakeholders. The goal of the IPM road map is to increase nationwide communication and efficiency through information exchanges among federal and non-federal IPM practitioners and service providers, including land managers, growers, structural pest managers and public and wildlife health officials. Development of the road map for the National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program began in February 2002, with continuous input from numerous IPM experts, practitioners and stakeholders. The road map identifies strategic directions for IPM research, implementation and measurement for pests in all major settings throughout the nation. This includes pest management for areas including agricultural, structural, ornamental, turf, museums, public and wildlife health pests, and encompasses terrestrial and aquatic invasive species

Addressing the needs for improving classical biological control programs in the USA

For years, the development of classical biological has proven to be the most cost-effective and environmentally safe management tool for invasive species. Despite this, in the United States there are a number of political, regulatory and institutional challenges associated with the discovery stage, pre-release phase, and post-release monitoring that have restricted the full potential and the long-term success of many classical biological control programs. Among these needs, we provide recommendations for improved prioritization of specific projects, funding concerns, source countries issues, benefits sharing of biological control agents, shipping live agents, regulatory requirements and procedures, and engagement with the environmental community. We believe these recommendations and potential solutions will significantly improve the future effectiveness of classical biological control programs for the management of invasive species within the United States