2003 Annual Report 4.What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? D. Progress Report: This report serves to document research conducted under a trust agreement between ARS and California Exotic Plant Pest Council (CalEPPC). This project began in April 2003, as a replacement for 5325-2200-017-03T, Biological Control of Cape Ivy, A Pest Vine Native to South Africa. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS 5325-22000-017-00D, Biology and Control of Invasive Weeds in the Western US. CalEPPC is among the most active and respected environmental agencies that is increasing public awareness of the impacts of invasive weeds, and assisting in finding ways to reduce their negative impacts. CalEPPC has taken the lead in gathering funds for Dr. Balciunas's Cape ivy Project, and it coordinates and receives donations from a variety of environmental and state agencies, as well as individuals, that it then passes on to Dr. Balciunas. These funds from CalEPPC have been used to fund the majority of the vital research in South Africa, the home of Cape ivy. During FY 2003, our collaborators in Pretoria continued to conduct, in parallel with us, host range tests on the two agents being evaluated at our ARS quarantine in Albany, thereby reducing by several years, the time it will take to test these potential agents, and to obtain approval for their release in California. They also initiated two small projects, using subcontractors, to study a flower-feeding beetle and a leaf pathogen that damage Cape ivy.