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Northeast states receive spotted lanternfly funding

The grants were provided through USDA Plant Protection Act Section 7721.

March 10, 2020

3 Min Read
Close up of spotted lanternfly
FIGHTING LANTERNFLY: Pennsylvania, along with several other Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, are getting grant funding from USDA for spotted lanternfly education, prevention and research. Farm Progress

Millions of dollars in federal grants are being awarded to states for pest and plant health mitigation, including hundreds of thousands toward spotted lanternfly research and prevention.

Maryland is getting $1.2 million in USDA plant protection funding, including $435,434 for spotted lanternfly outreach and $176,104 to support biological control of emerald ash borer.

Pennsylvania, the epicenter of the spotted lanternfly outbreak, is getting $354,321 for spotted lanternfly outreach; $91,518 for researching population dynamics of spotted lanternfly; $120,044 to develop mathematical modeling for helping predict infestations; and $76,890 for mapping plant species that spotted lanternflies prefer. 

“Pennsylvania is a critical partner in protecting U.S. agriculture,” says Greg Ibach, USDA undersecretary. “Through these projects, Pennsylvania will be able to better protect its own resources and contribute to USDA’s mission of keeping our nation’s agriculture economy healthy and strong.”

Here is the list of grants per state:

Connecticut

  • Orchard survey — $26,357

  • Wasps watchers biosurveillance — $18,150

  • Forest and agricultural pest outreach — $39,282

  • Spotted lanternfly funding — $56,613

Delaware

  • Control of Asian longhorned beetle — $83,073

  • Brown marmorated stink bug funding — $129,442

  • Distribution of natural enemies of roseau cane scale — $212,073

  • Biocontrol of emerald ash borer — $153,352

Maine

  • Cyst nematode survey — $30,196

  • Vegetable crop pest survey — $14,336

  • Berry pest survey — $12,130

  • Woodborer and bark beetle survey — $35,000

  • Tree fruit pest survey — $11,391

  • Tribes in Maine invasive species project — $91,275

  • Outreach of forest invasive species — $66,622

  • Firewood outreach campaign — $23,169

  • Emerald ash borer response — $63,933

Maryland

  • Creating honeybee colony pest and disease data — $81,882

  • Phytophthora ramorum nursery survey — $20,000

  • Asian defoliator survey — $25,000

  • Walnut twig beetle/thousand canker disease survey — $14,000

  • Oak commodity survey — $13,500

  • Identification of fungal intercepts at ports of entry — $103,825

  • DNA barcodes and imaging resources for downy mildew — $172,800

  • High-throughput sequencing for detection of regulated pathogens on specialty crops — $140,000

  • Spotted lanternfly survey — $435,434

  • National honeybee survey — $112,799

  • Emerald ash borer research — $176,104

Massachusetts

  • Orchard commodity survey — $31,200

  • Phytophthora ramorum nursery survey — $26,500

  • Developing traps for spotted lanternfly — $89,000

  • Spotted lanternfly pheromones — $453,729

  • Monitoring of citrus longhorned beetle — $46,899

  • Lepidoptera attractants — $58,642

  • Development of droplet digital PCR for Khapra beetle — $71,529

  • Forest and ag pest outreach — $74,500

  • Radio tracking of spotted lanternfly — $99,510

  • Attract-and-kill to manage Khapra beetle — $149,836

  • Biological control of spotted lanternfly — $296,920

  • Evaluating efficacy and persistence of systemic insecticides — $111,948

  • Long-term suppression of Japanese beetle — $121,147

  • Spotted lanternfly control — $135,700

New Hampshire

  • Vegetable pest survey — $10,223

  • Forest pest survey — $25,000

  • Orchard commodity survey — $4,991

  • Firewood pathway outreach — $15,245

  • Forest pest outreach — $45,000

  • Emerald ash borer biological control — $96,209

New York

  • Soybean survey — $50,000

  • Phytophthora ramorum survey — $13,406

  • Grape survey — $100,000

  • Orchard survey — $95,000

  • Stone fruit survey — $275,000

  • State diagnostician training — $143,963

  • Tribal nursery certification — $34,530

  • Reinstating apple tree certification — $175,000

  • Remote sensing of hemlock stands — $54,437

  • Emerald ash borer response — $253,147

  • Deregulation and enhanced activity of golden nematode — $141,725

  • Emerald ash borer biological control — $92,860

  • European cherry fruit fly management — $192,310

Pennsylvania

  • Developing predictive models for bee pathogen levels — $89,177

  • Orchard survey — $90,000

  • Public garden surveys — $75,000

  • Oak survey — $40,000

  • Asian longhorned beetle survey — $10,705

  • Small fruit disease survey — $45,000

  • Grape survey — $40,000

  • Walnut twig beetle survey — $15,000

  • Spotted lanternfly research — $110,633

  • Screening and identification of wood-boring insects — $57,500

  • Forest pest outreach — $64,585

Rhode Island

  • Vegetable crop pest survey — $14,498

  • Grape survey — $14,498

  • Nursery and retail plants survey for Phytophthora ramorum — $20,000

  • Stone fruit survey — $22,720

  • Forest and agriculture pest outreach — $19,680

Vermont

  • Exotic wood borer/bark beetle survey — $20,500

  • Field crops pest survey — $31,082

  • Vegetable crops pest survey — $18,597

  • Tree fruit pest survey — $18,597

  • Forest pest outreach project — $68,963

West Virginia

  • Asian defoliator survey — $16,000

  • Grape survey — $5,000

  • Solanaceous commodity survey — $13,000

  • Stone fruit survey — $8,000

  • Nursery and retail plants pest survey — $15,000

  • West Virginia Invasive Pest Outreach Program — $48,000

  • Spotted lanternfly surveillance — $230,782

  • Spotted lanternfly project — $40,000

Source: USDA, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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