CAPS Infrastructure

A primary objective of the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program is to safeguard our nation¡¦s food and environmental resources against exotic pests that threaten our production and ecological systems. Funds for this project will support a State Survey Coordinator (SSC) to accomplish the following objectives: ~ Coordinate Kentucky¡¦s CAPS invasive pest surveys and infrastructure programs and act as a liaison with the Kentucky PPQ Office. ~ Coordinate Kentucky¡¦s Farm Bill proposals, budgets, projects, and reports. ~ Coordinate pest surveys which do not fall under CAPS or Farm Bill such as imported fire ant, pine shoot beetle, and gypsy moth surveys. ~ For all of the above surveys and projects, the SSC is responsible for writing project proposals, creating and managing project budgets, managing and, in some cases, conducting surveys, managing samples, submitting data to the appropriate databases, and preparing accomplishment reports. ~ The SSC ensures the quality and timeliness of entry of CAPS, Farm Bill, and other line item pest survey-generated data into approved databases. In addition, she will enter data from other qualified entities such as USDA APHIS PPQ, Forest Service, university extension and state agencies such as the Kentucky Division of Forestry. ~ Distribute educational materials and share communications with state and federal entities, university Cooperative Extension Services, the agricultural community, and the public as appropriate. ~ Educate the public and relevant industries through speaking engagements, trade show booths, and Kentucky CAPS web page and Facebook page (Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist) maintenance. Funds from the CAPS program will allow these objectives to be accomplished by: ~ Partially supporting the State Survey Coordinator position. The SSC, Dr. Janet Lensing, will coordinate and train surveyors and University of Kentucky personnel, write work plans, budgets, and accomplishment reports, perform surveys, screen samples, perform public outreach, manage data, etc. ~ Allowing for the hiring of independent contractors to conduct survey work. ~ Providing traps and lures for surveys and providing funding for the purchase of other survey supplies. ~ Partially supporting permanent full-time University of Kentucky personnel who will devote work time to CAPS surveys. ~ Providing funds for travel to survey sites.