California Offers $600,000 in Pest Management Grants

Kathy Brunetti (brunetti@empm.cdpr.ca.gov)
Thu, 19 Aug 1999 11:45:12 -0700

This is a press release from the Calif. Dept. of Pesticide
Regulation. Contact information at the bottom of the article. Note:
applicants must be based in California
******************
Kathy Brunetti, Senior Land and Water Analyst
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
830 K Street, Sacramento, California, USA 95814
*******************
SACRAMENTO--Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation is accepting
grant applications to support innovative pest management projects
that reduce environmental and health risks, are cost effective, and
show potential for widespread use. A total of $600,000 will be
awarded.
DPR Director Paul E. Helliker said the 1999-2000 Pest
Management Grants will focus first on identifying alternatives to
organophosphates, carbamates, and other highly toxic chemicals. "With
an increasing number of reduced-risk alternatives available -- due in
part to DPR's initiatives -- we want to place even more emphasis on
phasing out use of high-toxicity chemicals on the farm and in urban
environments," said Helliker.
Another grant priority is worker protection. "Workers face
more potentially hazardous situations involving pesticides than
anyone else," said Helliker. "Reducing pesticide risks on the job
will offer immediate benefits to people and our environment."
Other grant priorities include:

* Projects that protect surface and ground water quality;
*Alternatives to methyl bromide and other fumigants;
*Reduced-risk strategies for home and urban environments; and
*Integrated pest management (IPM) projects in schools and other
public buildings. (IPM is an approach that emphasizes working with
nature and minimal use of chemical controls.)
Funding is available for demonstration and applied research
projects in both agricultural and nonagricultural pest control.
For demonstration projects, one-year grants range from
$10,000 to $50,000 for first-year projects, with up to $30,000 for
projects that are funded for a second or third year. Approximately
$400,000 is available for demonstration projects in 1999-2000.
For applied research projects, awards will range from $10,000
up to $30,000 for one year, and successful projects may be funded for
up to two more years. A total of approximately $200,000 is available
for 1999-2000 applied research grants.
Deadline for submission of proposals is October 13, 1999.
Grants will be awarded in early spring, 2000. Applicants must be
California-based. They may include commodity boards, resource
conservation districts, small businesses, University of California
Extension advisors or IPM specialists, pest control advisors,
university faculty, and other public or private individuals and
groups.
Grant proposals will be reviewed by the state's Pest
Management Advisory Committee (PMAC), established in 1992 by DPR and
the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The committee,
which will make project funding recommendations to DPR, includes
representatives of all aspects of agricultural production -- from
those who practice traditional chemical-intensive crop protection
techniques to organic farmers, government regulators, environmental
groups active in the pesticide arena, university representatives and
others knowledgeable about pest management.
Request for proposal (RFP) information may be downloaded from
DPR's Web site <www.cdpr.ca.gov>. For the first time, complete bid
packages for grant proposals may also be obtained online
<www.dgs.ca.gov/osbcr>.
For a hard copy of the bid package, or for other information,
contact Bob Elliott, Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management
Branch, 830 K Street, Sacramento 95814-3510, phone 916/324-4100, fax
916/324-4088, E-mail <belliott@cdpr.ca.gov>.
Since 1996, DPR has awarded $4.3 million in grants
for reduced-risk pest management projects. In addition to the Pest
Management Grants, which focus on local and regional projects, DPR
distributes grants for large-scale projects under the Pest Management
Alliance program. DPR awarded $700,000 in Alliance grants in June.

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