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The objectives of the Southern Region IPM Center are as follows: <OL> <LI> Communication. To serve as a focal point for interactive communication about IPM in the Southern Region and share reliable information on a national scale to promote sound IPM decisions. <LI> Stakeholder Priorities. To involve stakeholders (agricultural/urban/rural) to determine and prioritize research, outreach/education, and regulatory needs. <LI> Solutions. To find IPM solutions to pest problems through extension, research, and regulatory activities for the benefit of regional stakeholders and the environment. <LI> Emerging Issues. To organize responses to emerging issues of regional importance. <LI> Efficiency. To optimize innovative IPM research, extension and regulatory activities and minimize duplication of effort in IPM programs. <LI> Impact Documentation. To document the value of IPM strategies, techniques, programs and projects and prove that IPM works. <LI> Generate Support. To build support for IPM among the general public and public policymakers.
Non-Technical Summary: <BR>This proposal is to fund the Southern Region IPM Center. Our mission is to foster development and adoption of IPM, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental and human health benefits. The Advisory Council (AC) comprising diverse stakeholders from across the region will provide guidance and the Steering Committee (SC) will set policy. We will utilize the strategic plan developed in the previous funding cycle. We will maintain a revised version of the Regulatory Information Network to proactively address regulatory issues, respond to queries from EPA and other regulatory agencies, and update at least 12 high-priority Crop Profiles. Stakeholders and partner institutions will be engaged to identify needs and establish priorities through the AC and SC structure, collaboration with regional technical committees including SERA03-IPM, the Small Farms IPM Working Group to engage previously underserved groups, and support of existing working groups including the Southern School IPM Working Group. Global Food Security Programs include the Regulatory Information Network, the Critical and Emerging Issues Grant Program; the Small Farms Working Group; continued financial management and support of ipmPIPE projects; collaboration with eXtension; and our IPM Impacts Evaluation Initiative. The Impacts Evaluation Initiative will evaluate IPM projects from across the region to develop and distribute success stories that resonate with the general public. Our communications and outreach will continue the successful methods we have used to date including social networking techniques. We will also continue the Friends of IPM Program to highlight successful IPM professionals and promote IPM. <P> Approach: <BR> We will utilize a management process that includes work led by a professional staff advised by and interacting with an Advisory Council (AC) and Steering Committee (SC), each comprising diverse stakeholders from across the region. We will also involve stakeholders through initiation of a Small Farms IPM Working Group, continued interaction with regional technical committees including SERA03-IPM, NCERA208 and S-1010, and with various other regional and national working groups. We will engage with other groups and organizations including NPDN, SPDN, NAICC, IRAC, and CCA. We will identify program needs and establish program needs and by developing and maintaining Pest Management Strategic Plans, engaging with our own AC and SC, and engaging with pertinent working groups. We will sponsor and help facilitate a priorities-identification workshop for SERA03-IPM. We will establish and maintain a Regulatory Information Network through staff leadership and four subcontracts covering the region.We will continue to work with several eXtension initiatives. We will provide a Critical and Emerging Issues grants program for the region. A new IPM Impacts Evaluation Initiative led a an Evaluation Specialist at the postdoctoral level will coordinate evaluation activities, provide training and advise in the region, and will analyze and report on impact evaluation of several specific research and/or Extension IPM programs.