usda, animal and plant heath inspection service, plant protection...
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USDA, Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine
Biological Control Permitting Overview
Robyn Rose, Ph.D. National Policy Manager
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) – Safeguards agriculture and natural resources from
risks associated with the entry, establishment, or spread of pests and noxious weeds.
• Plant Pest
– The term ‘‘plant pest’’ means any living stage of a pest that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product.
• Any enemy, antagonist, or competitor used to control a plant pest or noxious weed.
• Common examples include:
• parasites and predators of plant pests; • pathogens of plant pests; • herbivores used against noxious weeds; • microorganisms which kill plant pathogens or prevent infection of the host
plants.
Biological Control
Initiation
Assemble release petition
prioritize & select targets
Host specificity testing
“Foreign exploration”
Distribution, monitoring and evaluation
Technology transfer
Environmental compliance
Initial field releases and establishment
Pre-release R&D: most of the costs much of the time
Implementation: putting agents in the
field monitoring methods incl. non-target impacts
mass-rearing technology Release site criteria and protocols
Develop and facilitate partnerships
Endangered Species Act National Environmental Policy
Act & Tribal Outreach
Research in U.S. quarantine, foreign partners (CABI), country of origin Confirm ID and strain/colony purity
non-target/environmental impacts
geographical range monitoring plan
10-20 years
Collect, colonize, screen
develop agent release protocols establishment
Implementation Timeline
• How Long? – Difficult to Answer – Recovery: 2-3 years or more – Establish: 5-10 years or more – Maintain Field Insectaries: 3-5 years – Regional Distribution: 3-5 years – Self-Sustaining Population
Factors to Determine PPQ Interest and Need
• PPQ priorities • State interest • Pest impact • Exotic/Introduced pest • Impending risk of invasion • Pests impacting Threatened/Endangered Species • Lack of effective/feasible alternatives • Multi-state established pest • Emergency response needs
Project Prioritization Factors
• Importance of pest (e.g. emergency, impacts) • Amount of resources needed (time and money) • Opportunities (e.g. timing, agents, partnerships) • Likelihood of success (e.g. measurable, agent
establishment and impact)
Foreign Exploration
APHIS requires researchers to have PPQ 526 permits for the: • Importation • Interstate movement • Movement between containment facilities • Continued permits for containment facilities • Releases into the environment
Permits for Biological Control Organisms
• Required for • all biological control organisms • EPA registered biopesticides
• Containment facility
• must be inspected
• Some, “commercial” biological control organisms, that are native or widely established, have few permit restrictions after importation.
Permits for Importation
• Required when:
• researchers move non-native organisms between states for release • release or research occurs outside a containment facility • native organisms are moved into states where they are not established
Interstate Movement Permits
• Ecological risk analyses • Host specificity testing • Environmental compliance
Environmental Release Permits
• Review the petition • Consult with NAPPO (North American Plant Protection Organization) • Endangered Species Act (ESA)
• Biological Assessment (BA) • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents. • Environmental Assessment (EA) • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) • Categorical Exclusion (CatEx)
• Tribal consultation
Environmental Compliance for New Release Permits
BA/BE Preparation in Accordance with ESA
• 3 parts • Species accounts for all listed endangered,
threatened, proposed, and candidate species that might be affected by the proposed action
• Current status of the listed species and critical habitat designation
• Effects assessment
• Determinerniation • No effect • May affect, but is not likely to adversely affect • May affect, and is likely to adversely affect.
• Go to the threatened and endangered species system
http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/
EA Preparation in Accordance with NEPA • Four parts to an EA
1. Purpose and need for the proposed action 2. Alternatives including the proposed action 3. Affected environment and environmental consequences 4. List of preparers
• EA must address whole continental US • Cumulative effects • 4-Point Memo
o Public communication o Public controversy o EIS for permitting regulations
• Notice of Availability published in Federal Register to allow PUBLIC comment. • Response to comments
Final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Funding
• PPQ Biological Control Line Item • Farm Bill Section 10007
Acknowledgements
Ron Weeks, APHIS PPQ Science and Technology Keith Colpetzer, APHIS PPQ Field Operations Bob Pfannanstiel, APHIS PPQ Permitting Tracy Willard, APHIS PPD, Environmental and Risk Analysis Kai Caraher, APHIS PPQ Environmental Compliance
Thank You!
Questions?