Duration: 10/01/2011 to 09/30/2016

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

WERA-069 is an active and productive committee that functions as a coordination and vision-setting body for research and Extension IPM programs in the West. The committee has good relations and communications with the regional IPM Center and USDA NIFA IPM staff. Committee participants work together on numerous multi-state IPM activities and programs, e.g., School IPM, High Plains IPM website, Pacific Northwest IPM guides, weather-driven pest models and regional pest advisories, noxious weed management, and water quality projects. This regional approach is increasingly important as fewer Extension and research scientists are available in individual states due to budget cuts and shrinking pest management resources.

WERA-069 represents a geographically and bio-climatically diverse region, with correspondingly high diversity in both crops and the pests that attack them. Some of the emerging issues for agro- and urban-ecosystems in the West include a better understanding of pesticide fate and behavior, impacts of pest management practices on environmental quality and human health, and impacts of ever-increasing introductions of invasive species and pest-vectored diseases on ecosystem stability. Today, western IPM programs receive increasing requests to address new and expanding audiences and stakeholders, such as forestry, parklands, schools, and homeowners. Western IPM programs are challenged to meet these increasing demands with a decreasing work force.

Recognizing the complexities of the challenge, IPM nationally is guided by a Roadmap, developed by the USDA CSREES (now NIFA) with input from many sources. This Roadmap has identified the analysis of health, environmental and economic impacts of IPM as a key priority. Impacts require aggregation of data at a state and regional level in order to contribute to a national policy, but no resources have been allocated for this important task. WERA-069 will continue to address this need as a key part of its activities.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

WERA-069 will meet annually at an appropriate location in the western region to exchange ideas and discuss common issues related to coordination of IPM research, Extension and education activities in the region, and specifically to plan and carry out activities to address our objectives. Annual meetings will be structured to take advantage of opportunities to educate committee members on local IPM issues, successes, and challenges. Local representatives will be invited to participate in IPM discussions. As appropriate, the meeting agenda will address agency alliance-building, regional IPM grant-writing strategies and efforts, Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) priorities, and coordination of IPM education and impact measures.

Specifically, WERA-069 will structure the annual meetings to serve as a forum to coordinate and facilitate IPM research and Extension in the western region. The location of annual meetings will rotate among states to educate the membership on local and regional IPM issues. Meetings will include tours or presentations to showcase local IPM issues. IPM staff from the region will be invited to participate in the annual meetings. The rotating WERA-069 Chair is a member of the ESCOP/ECOP APLU Pest Management Strategies Subcommittee, and serves as a two-way communicator with the national IPM leaders.

Meeting time will be scheduled to discuss ideas for grant proposals to address regional IPM priorities and develop additional grant-related activities, such as teleconferences. In order to facilitate regional coordination of input to new PMSPs, discussions will be held at the annual meetings and members will be asked to contact relevant industry stakeholders to develop robust PMSP writing committees. WERA-069 will coordinate a regional IPM education activity, such as a symposium or workshop through a venue such as the International IPM Symposium or others.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

1. At each annual meeting, the committee will discuss, share and coordinate pest management issues, research needs, educational approaches, and novel applications within regional agro- and urban systems. Program Leaders for USDA NIFA, regional IPM Centers, regional grant programs, etc., will provide updates on national and regional IPM initiatives, directions, and trends. The annual meeting will provide a forum for state research and Extension liaisons to discuss issues, dilemmas, and successes. The annual report compiled from across the participating states will provide documentation of regional IPM deliverables and accomplishments during the past year.

2. Conduct one IPM symposium, field tour or workshop in the region or in conjunction with the International IPM Symposium during the 5-year project cycle. This activity will expand participation beyond the WERA-069 membership. It may address specific learning needs (e.g. use of weather-based decision support tools, use of new diagnostic techniques, or certified IPM school programs), or provide a professional development workshop for county agents and other IPM professionals. This activity will help foster interagency and regional linkages, dialogue, learning and information dissemination, with an emphasis on designing and implementing sustainable pest management systems. Stakeholder involvement will be strongly encouraged.

Organization/Governance

Officers include a chair, vice-chair who records meeting minutes and maintains a current email list, and a past-chair. Election of a new vice-chair occurs at each annual meeting, and this new officer is installed immediately. It is the responsibility of the current chair to organize and host the year's meeting. Because a primary objective of this committee is to foster interdisciplinary research and Extension involving pest-related sciences, officers and members encourage the Directors from each state to sponsor at least two professionals to attend the annual meetings as voting members (a mix of pest disciplines and AES and Extension appointment emphases are desirable); additional participants are welcome.

Literature Cited

USDA NIFA, National Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management,
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/pest/in_focus/ipm_if_roadmap.html

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AS, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, VA, WA, WY

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Industry Consultant, The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC