Federal Interagency IPM
Training and
Certification
CSREES, in collaboration with other federal agencies and land-grant universities, is facilitating the development of an IPM training consortium, called IPM3. IPM3 will provide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training through distance education to federal workers involved in pest management issues and activities. IPM provides a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks (7 USC Sec. 136r-1). A number of federal agencies either have a strong policy mandate (for example, the Department of Interior's National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management) or are required by law (for example, USDA agencies; see 7 USC Sec. 136r-1) to increase the adoption and implementation of IPM.
Currently, the opportunities for IPM training among federal agencies are inadequate, making it difficult for such agencies to comply with IPM policy mandates or legal obligations. Federal agency employees need more opportunities for IPM education and training, particularly those connected to agricultural, land management, and/or natural resource missions. Increased IPM education and training will help federal agency personnel better address critical elements of the National Invasive Species Management Plan. Increasing the quality and consistency of IPM training and implementation among federal agencies will help ensure that the most economically feasible and sustainable programs are developed for the management of pests on federal lands in the future.
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