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 Joyce Strand
From the directorPoised to meet future needsAs part of its 2025 Strategic Vision, UC ANR plans to pursue a new, multidisciplinary, integrated initiative related to managing endemic and invasive pests and diseases. UC IPM is poised to support the effort, designed to ensure a high quality of life, a healthy environment, and economic success for Californians. In the meantime, however, we are a part of a changing UC, one faced with the challenges—and opportunities—that come from an unprecedented state budget shortfall. UC ANR has assessed UC IPM a significant budget cut, and we are in the process of determining how to reduce our expenses by 20% while continuing to meet the most critical needs of agricultural, natural resource, and urban pest managers and while positioning our program for the future. We plan to do this through internal deliberations and discussions with UC ANR colleagues and leaders, stakeholders, and external partners. We are identifying our core activities in order to continue the most essential services. We want to remain flexible to integrate exotic and invasive pests into our core activities and to handle changing pest management needs. Meanwhile, we are looking for opportunities to increase efficiency while providing effective, practical, science-based solutions to Californians. These are challenging times, but with thoughtful planning we can continue many of the outstanding projects and products we have highlighted in this report. I encourage you to contact me if you have comments you would like us to consider in making our decisions. Before signing off, I want to express my appreciation to Pete Goodell for his outstanding dedication, service, and leadership during the past two and a half years as UC IPM interim director. In July, Pete stepped down after shouldering the responsibility for implementing UC IPM’s 2006 Strategic Plan, including a very significant restructuring for the program. All of us, as well as ANR colleagues, recognize his important contribution in leading us forward. —Joyce F. Strand, Interim Director What is IPM?Integrated Pest Management is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, and modification of cultural practices. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed, and pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to humans, nontarget organisms, and the environment. ContactJoyce Strand,
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