Vision: Wide scale adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) will result in more economically viable, environmentally compatible, socially responsible, and sustainable crop production systems for the United States by 2010.

Mission: The pest management mission of USDA and its partners is to improve farm profitability and safeguard human health and the environment through discovery, development, extension and verification of safer, more effective, and more economical pest management systems.

Goal 1: By 2006, reduce the average cost of pest management in major cropping systems compared to 2000 baseline while maintaining efficacy and sustainability. (NASS survey)

Strategies: Define and publish the elements (tactics) of IPM for crops in major cropping systems of the United States.

Develop and implement rapid, accurate monitoring and prediction systems for pest infestations and their resulting damage.

Refine, verify, and implement action thresholds for key pests and pest complexes of major cropping systems.

Improve the efficiency of suppression tactics and demonstrate least cost options and pest management alternatives.

Goal 2: Reduce by half the levels of hazardous pesticides detected in surface drinking water supplies by 2008 (USGS drinking water surveys)

Objective: Promote the adoption of pest management systems for agricultural and non-agricultural environments that minimize non-target impacts.

Strategies: Design and promote effective pesticide application technologies that permit precise targeting of pesticides, particularly in high-risk situations and during adverse treatment conditions.

Develop and demonstrate crop production practices that reduce surface water and sediment movement off fields and non-agricultural sites.

Develop and promote practices to replace pesticides that pose high risk to surface drinking water supplies.

Demonstrate appropriate buffer zones or other practices to protect non-target areas from pesticide drift and other encroachments.

Goal 3: Reduce pesticide residue levels in the major foods consumed by infants and children by the year 2006. (AMS market basket survey)

Strategies: Develop alternatives to pesticides that have resulted in unacceptable residue levels in food crop commodities.

Determine pesticide application methods, timing, and placement that result in improved efficacy with reduced pesticide residues in raw agricultural commodities.

Develop methods that will minimize pesticide residues that are found in processed foods.

Goal 4: Evaluate and promote national protocols for pest management in recreational, roadside, right-of-way, and native habitat areas by 2007. (are protocols developed?)

Objective: Develop and implement pest management programs that maintain safe, functional recreational, roadside, right-of-way and native habitat environments.

Strategies: Develop pest management approaches for turf grass, other landscape plantings, and aquatic sites that require less intensive pesticide use while maintaining functional and aesthetic standards.

Document the most effective ways to manage the encroachment of invasive species and facilitate the return of endemic species to native habitats.

Goal 5: Have pilot community-run pest management programs in place and operating by 2010. (are community programs in place?)

Objective: Design and implement community-based pest management programs for residential, school, and public area environments that emphasize prevention programs and low-risk suppression technologies.

Strategies: Expand and publicize the "IPM in Schools" program now in existence so it can be implemented nationwide.

Develop and disseminate a Residential Pest Management program to encourage adoption of IPM by homeowners

Organize and publicize community stakeholder groups to administer the local community pest management efforts.