WERA69: Coordination of Integrated Pest Management Research and Extension/Educational Programs for the Western States & Pacific Basin Territories
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
WERA69: Coordination of Integrated Pest Management Research and Extension/Educational Programs for the Western States & Pacific Basin Territories
Duration: 09/01/2005 to 09/30/2010
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
WERA-069 has evolved from being a goal-setting and review body for USDA CSREES regional IPM grants to being a significant coordination and vision-setting body for research and extension IPM programs in the West. Through its collegial and productive annual meetings it has facilitated a smooth transition to the new USDA regional IPM Center-coordinated infrastructure for IPM, and it has developed a constructive dialog with the new USDA regional NPDN program. WERA-069 has also conducted symposia (at the National IPM Symposium (2003) and in Oregon (2005)) on important advances in systems level IPM. WERA-069 represents a diverse region, geographically and bio-climatically, representing most of the worlds terrestrial biomes. Crop diversity is consequently high, as is the complex of pests, diseases and weeds that attack them. Throughout the region, IPM research and extension programs surmount a high level of pest, disease and weed pressure against a background of other issues and concerns that they must consider and explicitly address. These include pesticide fate and behavior, and the consequences for human and environmental health of off-target transport, impacts of pest management practices on water quality, and more recently impacts on air quality. Invasive species also predominate as concerns in some parts of the region (including the Pacific Islands), and these concerns are spreading to provide all state IPM programs with significant challenges. The region also faces the highest levels of pest-vectored human disease in any of the USDA regions. Finally, all programs are addressing new audiences and stakeholders from forestry, to the urban sector, schools and homeowners. When serious issues connected with IPM occur, they tend to occur first and with greatest intensity in the Western United States, as a result of its vast area, extreme climates and international connections.
Recognizing the complexity of the challenge, IPM nationally is now guided by a Roadmap, developed by the CSREES with input from may sources. This Roadmap has identified the analysis of health, environmental and economic impacts of IPM as a key priority. Impacts require aggregation at a state and regional level in order to contribute to national policy, but no resources have been allocated for this important task. WERA-069 will address this need as a key part of its activities. The emerging focus on biosecurity also requires IPM faculty to coordinate with diagnosticians and their counterparts in the NPDN, and WERA-069 proposes to focus on effective delivery of a seamless IPM and diagnostics system to minimize biosecurity risks in the region. Finally, WERA-069 also will strive to contribute to programs throughout the region, including distant, outlying territories, despite limited resources to do so.
Objectives
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Coordination and facilitation of research and extension IPM in the Western region through collaboration, networking and development of research and extension alliances. Several examples of multi-state extension and outreach IPM programs already exist (e.g. joint IPM handbooks and guidelines in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), the Great Plains and Pacific Basin, and the PNW iSNAP program. WERA -069 will also directly coordinate with the Western Region IPM Center (with a representative on the Center Advisory Board, and through joint participation in the annual meeting), the NPDN, State Departments of Agriculture, the USDA Regional Water Quality program, the USDA NRCS, and the USEPA.
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Coordination of regional Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) follow-up, through effective research and extension program design, joint grant applications and feedback with the Western Region IPM Center.
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Help bring about the key national IPM Roadmap goal of quantifying IPM impact. WERA-069 will provide a mechanism for collecting, analyzing, aggregating and publishing IPM impact data and analyses. WERA-069 will conduct analyses of data, collaboratively (effectively developing a joint research program on IPM impact), collate historic impact analyses and place these in Western Region IPM Center publications. WERA-069 aims to develop of a process that can be adopted nationally, and we will invite participation by CSREES specialists in impact assessment, and participation from other USDA regions.
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Increase awareness and communication in IPM programs across the region through rotation of annual meetings among participating states, through the provision of annual reports, and through annually conducted meetings with local agencies and stakeholders. The WERA-069 Chair is a member of the ESCOP/ECOP National IPM Advisory Committee, and translates state reports in aggregate to the National IPM leadership, and the multiple Federal agencies.
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Effectively capture issues and concerns each year and transmit them to the Western IPM Center, the NPDN and USDA CSREES. An important contribution of WERA-069 involves engaging outlying programs (Pacific Island Territories, Alaska, and other areas with fewer resources) in this process. The annual meeting provides an opportunity to offer professional expertise and to share insights and engage in dialog with producers and county-based extension faculty. This provides important feedback for all participants, including those from outlying programs.
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Conduct an education program, including symposia and outreach activities by the group at annual meetings, and at the regular National IPM Symposium.
Procedures and Activities
WERA-69 will meet annually at an appropriate location in the Western Region to exchange ideas and discuss common problems related to coordination of IPM research, extension and education activities in the region and specifically to plan and carry out activities to address objectives 1-5.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- 1. Annual reports and summaries of IPM programs, and impacts on a state-by-state basis, to be posted as Powerpoint slideshows and reports as pdf files on the WIPMC web site.
- 2. Publication of state and regional impact program assessment analyses, supported by collaborative grants and programs and region-wide engagement.
- 3. Documented programmatic developments or contributions to outlying programs, particularly in Alaska, and the Pacific islands.
- 4. Submission of an annual summary of IPM issues, concerns, questions to the Western Region IPM Center and USDA CSREES National IPM program staff.
- 5. Conduct two specialized symposia (at the National IPM Symposium (2006) and a regional event). The regional event will expand participation beyond the WERA-069 group. It may address specific learning needs (e.g. use of weather-based decision support tools, use of new diagnostic techniques; certified IPM school programs) or provide a professional development workshop for county agents.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
1. Annual meeting
Pest management issues, research needs, educational approaches, and novel applications within regional agroecosystems will be topics for discussion at the annual meeting among professionals from western region universities and public agencies. Program Leaders at USDA CREES will provide updates about national IPM initiatives, directions, and trends along with regional information pertinent to the west. The annual meeting provides a forum for state Extension IPM Coordinators to discuss issues, dilemmas, and successes.
2. Public IPM Symposium
WERA-69 will sponsor at least one public symposium to foster interagency and regional linkages, dialogue, learning and information dissemination among IPM professionals with an emphasis on designing and implementing sustainable pest management systems. Stakeholder involvement will be encouraged.
Organization/Governance
Two Administrative Advisors representing both AES and CES will guide the coordinating committee and report to the western regional Deans and Directors. Because a primary objective of this committee is to foster interdisciplinary research and extension involving all pest-related sciences, officers and members request the Deans and Directors to sponsor at least two professionals to attend the annual meetings as voting members; anyone else may participate. Officers include a chair, vice-chair who records meeting minutes and maintains a current email list, and a past-chair. Elections occur toward the end of the annual meeting and are installed immediately.