Every Californian confronts pests and manages pests at some level. Not just the people whose jobs focus on pest management, but all of us living, working, and recreating in the golden state. IPM is a method to reduce pest damage while protecting human-health, the environment, and the economy. The role of the Statewide IPM Program is to provide the information and decision support tools that people need to choose the most appropriate pest management tools for their situation.
As you can see from this annual report, the Statewide IPM Program is addressing new pests and resurgent old pests in communities, agriculture and natural areas. Worthy of special note is the recent eradication of European grapevine moth. The Pesticide Safety Education Program is providing the training necessary to protect human health and meet new regulatory requirements. Through our website, the Statewide IPM Program is providing new tools for pest management that are freely available and always accessible. Several of these new tools are described in this report. In addition, we have expanded our online courses to provide greater continuing education opportunities for state certified and licensed pest managers.
I am very proud of the work that the academics and staff in the Statewide IPM Program do every day throughout California. The number and diversity of awards given our IPM team supports my assessment of this amazing group of people.
California is a large state with growing communities, exceptional agricultural production, incredible natural resources, and significant pest issues. The Statewide IPM Program continues to meet the challenge of extending science-based, pest management information to all Californians.