Pennsylvania to Receive $841,000 in USDA Farm Bill Section 10007 Funding

Funding Supports Local Projects to Protect Agriculture and Plants from Pests and Diseases

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $841,000to Pennsylvania from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing nearly $70 million in funding this year that will support 494 projects across the country.

“We are pleased to partner with Pennsylvania to provide critical Farm Bill funds that will put innovative ideas into action and help us overcome our shared invasive pest and disease challenges,” said USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “Pennsylvania is a critical partner in protecting U.S. agriculture. These projects will enable Pennsylvania to protect its own resources, and, in doing so, contribute to USDA’s mission of keeping our nation’s agriculture economy healthy and strong.”

These funds will support projects covering a range of plant health and pest mitigation activities, including the following:

• $428,000 for survey activity for grape, solanaceus crops, stone fruit, and orchard commodities; walnut twig beetle; small fruit diseases; Phytophthra ramorum; and pests in public gardens;
• $276,000 to support the Sentinel Plant Network monitoring for exotic plant pests in public gardens;
• $73,000 to develop attractants and improved trap technology for exotic wood borers, as well as early detection systems for exotic Hymenoptera, a pest threat of native bees; and
• $65,000 for public outreach to raise awareness on the threat of exotic forest pests in the State.

USDA has funded 1,849 projects with approximately $247 million in Section 10007 funding since the 2014 Farm Bill was enacted. Collectively, these projects continue to bolster our country’s safeguarding system while allowing USDA and its partners to quickly detect and rapidly respond to invasive pests and diseases. You can view the FY 2018 spending plans on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/farmbill.

APHIS created the Hungry Pests public outreach program to empower Americans with the knowledge they need to leave these “hungry pests” behind. Visit www.aphis.usda.gov/pestsdiseases/hungrypests to learn more about invasive plant pests and diseases impacting your area and how you can help.