IPM Voice Newsletter                                                                                                                      September 2013
House Returns to Farm Bill

This week, the House is expected to resume focus on the Farm Bill, which is set to expire on September 30. Congress left session in August with the Farm Bill unfinished. Earlier this summer, the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill. The House passed an incomplete version which had removed provisions for SNAP, formerly the food stamp program. In July, the White House pledged to veto a Farm Bill without SNAP.

 

Thanks to the work of IPM Voice and other advocates, the Senate farm bill contains language that calls for continued legislative authority for the four Regional IPM Centers. While this language does not guarantee funding for the IPM Centers, it reinforces the importance of the Centers and makes funding more likely. The House has not concluded its bill.

 

There are two paths forward if Congress fails to act on the Farm Bill before expiration of the current bill in two weeks. Congress may vote to extend the 2008 bill again, as it did in 2012, or the Farm Bill from 1949 could take effect. If the latter takes place, permanent programs including crop insurance and SNAP would be unaffected. IPM programs, which are funded by annual appropriations, would not be guaranteed under the 1949 provisions. 

Revised IPM Roadmap Release Date Set

The IPM Roadmap, drafted with input from multiple stakeholders in 2004, has been revised and is expected to be released in October. The Roadmap defines IPM and outlines strategies to address IPM research and implementation. Revisions are expected to address bed bug management and climate change as a pest management stress factor. Look for the revision next month on the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) webpage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal Bed Bug Strategy Draft Released, Comments Requested, Deadline Tomorrow

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting public input on a new Federal Bed Bug Strategy Draft. The draft is available for review and comment here. Submissions are due by tomorrow, September 18. 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Year 2014 Core IPM Funding Update

As reported last month, core IPM funding in the House and Senate bills are consolidated within a "Crop Protection/Pest Management" budget category (figure 1). Minor Crop Pest Management (IR-4) continues as a separate line item within this category, as do the Regional IPM Centers and Smith Lever 3(d) funds. In the Senate bill, core IPM funding returns to FY 2012 levels. The House bill provides $700,000 less than the Senate bill. The House and Senate have not yet reconciled their budget discrepancies. Reconciliation may or may not occur, depending on whether or not a new Farm Bill is passed. The Farm Bill acts as the authorization for appropriations. Whether or not appropriations can exist without the Farm Bill has never been tested.

 

Final funding for FY 2013 reflects a 7-8% cut due to sequestration. 

 

Additional USDA and EPA programs, not included here, also contribute to overall IPM funding.  These programs include the Specialty Crops Research Initiative and US EPA's school IPM grants program. Specific grants or portions of grants within those programs may include IPM research, implementation and outreach.

 

Figure 1. Improved Pest Control funding category, adapted from this report clarifies this new divide.

Amounts in millions

FY 2012

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2014

Research and Education Activities

Final

Final

Proposed House

Proposed Senate

Expert IPM Decision Support System

$     0.153

$     0.141

*

*

Integrated Pest Management

2.362

2.182

*

*

Minor Crop Pest Management (IR-4)

11.913

11.006

$   11.913

$  11.913

Pest Management Alternatives

1.402

1.295

*

*

Regional IPM Centers

4.000

3.695

*

*

Smith Lever Section 3(d): Pest Management

9.918

9.163

*

*

Total Pest Management

$    29.748

$    27.482

$  29.056

$ 29.748

Total without IR-4

$    17.835

$    16.476

$  17.143

$  17.835

* Specific funding amounts for these line items are not specified within the funding authorization for the Crop Protection/Pest Management funding

 

 

Upcoming IPM-Related Meetings and Conferences

September 25 and October 22:Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments WEBINAR Series

October 22-25, 2013: PestWorld 2013. Phoenix, AZ.
November 10-13, 2013: Entomological Society of America 61st Annual Meeting. Austin, TX.
April 1-3,2013: 2014 Women in Agriculture Educators National Conference. Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mark your calendars!  The 8th International IPM Symposium will be held March 23-26, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah 

IPM Voice is an independent, non-profit organization advocating for integrated pest management (IPM) that is genuinely progressive and seeks continuous improvement of environmental, social and economic conditions through application of accepted scientific principles.  IPM Voice was formed in 2010 by more than 35 professionals working to expand the benefits IPM has provided to agriculture and communities for more than 40 years.

IPM Voice, Inc. / 4510 Regent Street  Madison, Wisconsin 53705 / 608-232-1410 / www.ipmvoice.org