United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Safeguarding
American Agriculture
and Natural Resources
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Our Mission
Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture and Natural
Resources
• To ensure an abundant, high-quality, and varied
food supply
• To strengthen the marketability of U.S. agriculture
• To preserve U.S. ecosystems and protect against
invasive species
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
PPQ’s Goal
“…mitigating pest risks,
domestically and abroad, through
exclusion, intensive surveillance,
early detection, and containment of
pests and diseases before they
can spread.”
— Dr. Richard Dunkle
Former PPQ Deputy
Administrator
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Who We Are
• We are a diverse range of professionals dedicated
to conserving, protecting, and enhancing American
agriculture.
• From botanists to virologists, accountants to
writers, we’re all part of a historic tradition and a
challenging future.
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
What We Do
• Keep foreign plant pests out of the United States
• Document the presence of plant pests within the
United States
• Ensure safe agricultural trade by removing
unjustified pest-related trade barriers
• Detect, control, or eradicate foreign plant pests
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Why We Keep Out Foreign Pests
• More than 6,500 nonnative species are established
in the United States.
• More than 900 or 1/7 of these species are
economically or environmentally harmful.
• Harmful nonnative species cost billions of dollars in
control or loss of marketable goods.
• Harmful nonnative species affect agriculture,
forestry, human health, and tourism.
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
How We Keep Out Foreign Pests
• Establish risk-based import regulations and
policies for agricultural commodities (e.g., produce,
plants, craft products)
• Inspect and treat agricultural commodities for pests
in their country of origin prior to export to the
United States
• At inspection stations, inspect propagative material
imported into the United States, taking appropriate
action when pests are detected
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
How We Ensure Safe Agricultural
Trade
• Establish import regulations and policies for goods
imported into the United States
• Issue import and interstate movement permits for
plant pests
• Review plant health certificates issued by
exporting countries for imported goods
• Monitor trade of endangered or threatened species
• Issue plant health certificates for agricultural goods
exported from the United States
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
How We Detect, Control, or
Eradicate Plant Pests and Diseases
• Excluding foreign pests, when possible, is our
goal.
• If barriers fail, early detection of the pest is the next
best strategy.
• Early detection assures
– Faster and cheaper control
– Availability of more control strategies
– Greater possibility of success
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Elements of Pest Response
Program
• Survey (Where are the pests?)
• Identification (What are they?)
• Regulation to prevent spread
– Bans movement of materials with a quarantine
– Restricts movement of materials through permits
• Control or eradication
–
–
–
–
–
Host removal
Pesticides
Agricultural production practices
Biological control
Sterile insect release
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Some Ongoing Emergency
Programs
• Karnal bunt
– Fungal disease of wheat detected in Arizona, California,
and Texas
• Citrus canker
– Bacterial disease of citrus detected in Florida
• Exotic fruit flies
– Agricultural pests threatening more than 250 U.S. crops
• Asian longhorned beetle
– Wood-boring insect threatening the survival of hardwood
trees
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Asian Longhorned Beetle
•
Wood-boring insect native to China
•
Hitch-hiked to United States in
wooden pallets and crates
•
Cause of destruction of more than
– 7,156 trees in New York City
– 1,770 trees in Chicago
– 461 trees in Jersey City, NJ
– Many trees in Worcester, MA
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Our Partners in ALB Response
• U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service
• State Departments of Agriculture
• Local governments where infestations occur
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
PPQ Structure
• Each state has a State Plant Health Director.
• There are two regional offices. Raleigh, NC
(Eastern Region) and Ft. Collins, CO (Western
Region).
• National HQ is in Riverdale, MD.
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
PPQ Domestic Programs
• Noxious Weeds (regulate Federal Noxious Weeds)
• Forest Pests – Gypsy Moth, Pine Shoot Beetle,
Emerald Ash Borer, Sirex noctilio, Phytophthora
ramorum, etc.
• Nematodes: Golden Nematode in NY, Potato Cyst
Nematode in ID.
• Biological Control
• Imported Fire Ant
• Citrus Diseases
• Cotton Pests
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey
(CAPS)
• Our main exotic pest survey.
• Our contribution to Homeland Defense.
• Focus is on looking for pests not known to occur.
• In past years was pest specific – now moving to
more commodity-based surveys.
• Work closely with state departments of ag to do
the work.
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Contact Information
• State Plant Health Directors are always a good first
start.
• Eastern Region Domestic Sr. Program Manager:
Billy Newton 919-855-7335.
• Western Region Domestic Sr. Program Manager:
Tim McNary 970-494-7570.
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection and Quarantine
For More Information
• Please visit our Web site at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq