[Pollinator] PESP Bulletin - Sept. 2005

[Kimberly Winter]

Highlights from our partners at EPA (including the latest in IPM, grants, 
and pesticide registrations):

PESP EXCHANGE
September 2005

  NEWS

Hurricanes:  EPA emergency response personnel are working in partnership 
with FEMA and state and local agencies to help assess the damage, test 
health and environmental conditions, and coordinate cleanup from Hurricanes 
Katrina and Rita. In emergency situations such as this, EPA serves as the 
lead Agency for the cleanup of hazardous materials, including oil and 
gasoline. Our national and regional Emergency Operations Centers are 
activated 24 hours a day.  For more information on EPA’s activities, visit 
the website at:  http://www.epa.gov


  AGRICULTURAL NEWS

The US Senate has approved its version of the Agriculture/FDA FY 2006 
Funding Bill:  The Senate passed a $100 billion spending bill for 
agriculture, food and drug programs, averting debate over emergency 
contraception and other controversies ... The vote for the bill was 97-2, 
with Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., voting no. Now, 
congressional negotiators must work out differences in House and Senate 
versions of the spending bill, which funds the Agriculture Department, FDA 
and related agencies. Absent from the bill is a $3.1 billion spending cut 
for farm programs that Congress ordered earlier this year. Agriculture 
committees plan to decide next month how to make the cut. The Senate did 
pass several amendments ..." as noted below - The bill is reportedly silent 
on a provision in the House bill concerning a delay in mandatory 
country-of-origin food labeling.  The complete text of the AP story is 
posted at
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8CPD9T01.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db

MYCOGEN GETS PATENT GRANT ON TRANSGENIC BT IN PLANTS
The United States Patent Office has granted patent rights to transgenic 
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in plants to Mycogen Plant Seeds, Inc., an 
affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC. The newly granted patent for Bt in plants 
gives Dow broad and exclusive U.S. rights to this technology. The patent was 
originally filed in 1988, but a decision by the U.S. Patent Office was 
delayed by interference proceedings by another company. The case was 
eventually resolved in Dow's favor. Dow's patent on transgenic Bt in plants 
(United States Patent Number 6,943,282) will be in effect until 2021.  For 
more information about Dow AgroSciences, visit http://www.dowagro.com or 
email Garry Hamlin of Dow AgroSciences at garryhamlin at dow.com.

CHANGES IN BT COTTON INVESTIGATED
Bt cotton plants with the Cry1Ac protein have shown varying efficacy against 
field populations of the insect Helicoverpa armigera. This may cause H. 
armigera to evolve resistance to the Cry1Ac toxin.   The entire abstract, 
http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-abstract&issn=0022-0493&volume=098&issue=04&page=1382.

Office of Pesticide Program NEWS

New Pesticide Registration Fees Become Effective October 1, 2005: On June 
14, 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency published a revised list of 
pesticide registration service fees for specified pesticide applications and 
tolerance actions.  Under the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA), 
the registration service fees for covered pesticide registration 
applications received on or after October 1, 2005, will increase by 5 
percent.  The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 established a new 
section in the federal pesticide law, which authorized a service fee system 
for applicants for specified pesticide registration, amended registration 
and associated tolerance actions.  Under this system, applications must pay 
service fees for covered applications, and EPA is required to make a 
determination on the application within specified decision times.  To view 
the list of pesticide registration fees, please visit 
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-AIR/2005/June/Day-02/a10998.htm.  More 
information about PRIA can be found at 
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/fees

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For general questions on pesticides and pesticide poisoning prevention, 
contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), toll free, at: 
1-800-858-7378, by E-mail at npic at ace.orst.edu, or by visiting their website 
at: http://npic.orst.edu/

For information about EPA's pesticide program, visit our homepage at:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/


URBAN/COMMUNITY NEWS
SW TECHNICAL RESOURCE CENTER NEWSLETTER features article on head lice, IPM 
Pride Award and PESP Champion.  To view the newsletter, visit the website 
at: http://schoolipm.tamu.edu

CDC'S SCHOOL HEALTH INDEX NOW ADDRESSES ASTHMA
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent 
and School Health, is pleased to announce the addition of asthma into the 
School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI). Asthma is 
the newest health topic to be incorporated into the SHI, further enhancing 
the breadth of health topics previously included: unintentional injury and 
violence prevention, physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco use 
prevention.   At this time, asthma questions may be downloaded, printed, or 
completed interactively on the DASH Healthy Youth Web site at 
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHI..

NEW SCHOOL IPM BOOK AVAILABLE:
Safe and Healthy School Environments; Oxford University Press.   Millions of 
children and adults spend their days in school buildings, and they need 
safe, healthy environments in which to learn and thrive.  This book, Safe 
and Healthy Environments, explores the school environment using the methods 
and perspectives of environmental health science.  Its 30 chapters cover all 
aspects of the school environment, including air quality, toxic hazards, 
food, physical activity, violence, transportation, disaster preparedness, 
health services, and program management, making it the first book to offer 
such comprehensive coverage.  Edited by: Howard Frumkin, MD, Dr. P.H.; and 
Robert Geller, MD, Leslie Rubin, MD with Janice Nodvin.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center is pleased to 
announce the availability of funding through its IPM Partnership Grants 
Program for 2006 (FY 2005 federal funds). A Request for Applications (RFA) 
is posted on the Center's website at http://northeastipm.org/abou_fund.cfm

Approximately $465,000 is available to support projects that will address or 
develop regional IPM priorities and will further the mission of the 
Northeastern IPM Center. The Center is seeking applications for six project 
types:   (1) IPM Working Groups; (2) State Network Projects; (3) IPM Working 
Group Priorities;  (4) Regional IPM Publications; (5) Critical and Emerging 
Issues; (6) IPM Tactics Surveys, Crop Profiles, and Pest Management 
Strategic Plans

ELIGIBILITY: Private individuals, public and private institutions or 
organizations, businesses, and commodity groups are encouraged to apply. The 
primary project director must be from the northeastern region.

DEADLINE: The original and fourteen (14) copies of each proposal must be 
received by the Northeastern IPM Center by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 16, 
2005. See the complete RFA for full submission instructions. If you have 
questions or need paper copies of the RFA,  please contact grants manager 
John Ayers, Co-director of the Northeastern IPM Center, Pennsylvania State 
University (phone 814-865-7776; fax: 814-863-8175; email jea at psu.edu).

2006 BIOPESTICIDE GRANT PROGRAM: The IR-4 Biopesticide Research Program 
announces a request for grant proposals for funding of efficacy research in 
2006. With newer targeted conventional chemicals there is interest in 
resistance management to maintain the utility of those products. Therefore, 
IR-4 is especially interested in proposals containing biopesticides as 
resistance management tools, rotated with conventional products. While 
resistance management is an important interest, the proposal must still have 
a majority focus on biopesticides. Selection of treatments and experimental 
design should be considered to elucidate the contribution of each component 
to the pest control system. Project proposals will be accepted in three 
different stage categories. The three project stages are Early, Advanced and 
Demonstration. The total amount of funding available will be around $ 
400,000. Most successful grants have generally ranged from $5,000 to $10,000 
with the largest grants generally around $20,000. The primary objective of 
the IR-4 Biopesticides Research Program is to further the development and 
registration of biopesticides for use in pest management systems for 
specialty crops or for minor uses on major crops. NOTE: The three project 
stages: Early, Advanced and Demonstration have specific proposal forms. If 
you are submitting a proposal for the Early or Advanced stage project, 
please use the forms on pages 13-24. If you are submitting a proposal for a 
Demonstration project, please use the forms on pages 25-34. Proposals will 
be due November 18, 2005.  You can download Grant Procedure and Application 
in Word format HERE 
http://ir4.rutgers.edu/Docs/Early,%20Advanced%20&%20Demo.%20Guidelines%20&%20Forms-2006.doc

     GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM GRANTS.GOV
The grants listed below are from the Federal Grants Website at 
http://www.grants.gov.  Grants.gov is a single Federal website where users 
can find and apply for over 900 grant programs awarding more than 400 
billion annually. Through a streamlined electronic process, Federal 
grant-making agencies can leverage a cross-government service model, while 
maintaining their autonomy and flexibility to efficiently manage their grant 
programs. The editor of PESP Exchange regularly filters new grant 
opportunities that may be relevant for our PESP members.  You may find out 
more information on these grants by going to the site and entering the Fund 
number.

Fund number : USDA-GRANTS-080905-001
Title : Fiscal Year 2006 Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive 
Grants Program - North Central Region

Fund number : USDA-GRANTS-080905-002
Title : Fiscal Year 2006 Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive 
Grants Program - Northeastern Region

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Fifth National IPM Symposium, "Delivering on a Promise," will be held in 
St. Louis, MO on April 4-6, 2006 at the Adams Mark Hotel. Symposium sessions 
will address state of the art strategies and technologies to successfully 
solve pest problems in agricultural, recreational, natural and community 
settings in a way that makes sense.  To receive future notices about the 
symposium, send your e-mail address to ipmsymposium at ad.uiuc.edu    For 
information on lodging and accommodations, visit the Adams Mark Hotel 
website at http://www.adamsmark.com/stlouis/index.asp:

2006 National Environmental Partnership Summit: "Stewardship in Action: Our 
Responsibility – Our Environment"; May 8-11, 2006; Sheraton Atlanta Hotel - 
Atlanta, Georgia
During four days of interactive sessions, workshops and site visits, 
environmental assistance policy-makers, providers and recipients will 
explore stewardship activities in pollution prevention, compliance 
assistance, and performance based environmental leadership. Attendees will 
examine partnering, science and systems-based approaches, multi-media and 
'whole toolbox' strategies, measurement, transferability, sustainability and 
more in the context of a vision of stewardship.
Join your colleagues for the third annual National Environmental Partnership 
Summit - dedicated to and created by individuals who inspire, lead, fund, 
create, deliver, and receive environmental assistance. Be inspired as you 
renew and create relationships with as many as 800 environmental leaders and 
innovators from all over the country.
For More Information: http://www.environmentalSummit.org/  Phone: 
303-690-4245

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The PESP Exchange is a monthly electronic update of activities and available 
funding opportunities.  If you have something you would like mentioned in 
the Exchange, or have questions or comments regarding its contents, please 
contact the editor, Sherry Glick  at glick.sherry at epa.gov or call her at 
702-784-8276.