Letter to Our Stakeholders

April 2010

Dear Friend of IPM,

We are writing to update you on the financial future of the Northeastern IPM Center. As you may know, we have been federally funded for nearly a decade through a competitive USDA grant. The president's budget for fiscal year 2011 does not include funds for Regional IPM Centers or any of the other programs in a special USDA line known as "406 Integrated Programs."

Additionally, the newly created Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI; formerly NRI) recently announced its grants program and the Requests for Applications make very limited references to integrated pest management (see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/afri/afri.html).

You have supported IPM in the past and we value your commitment to integrated pest management in the region and nationally. If you are in a position to voice your opinion about the benefit of integrated pest management and the Northeastern IPM Center, we encourage you to do so now.

For public employees, scientists, university staff, Extension educators, and others: Request that regional IPM coordination and support, and specifically IPM Centers, be included in the next AFRI RFA by writing to RFP-OEP@nifa.usda.gov. In your comments, please specify the RFA to which you are responding (e.g., the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational Program RFA or any of these other RFAs: Global Food Security, Sustainable Bioenergy, Food Safety, or Climate Change). Talking points about the Northeastern IPM Center are below. We also encourage you to forward this email to relevant networks, as appropriate.

For those in private industry, community members, growers, pest management consultants, members of nonprofits, and others: Express your views to your elected representatives in Congress. Committees are meeting now. IPM Centers could be funded either through a restoration of USDA's 406 Integrated Programs line or through a specific category in AFRI. Below are talking points and information about Congressional House and Senate Agriculture and Appropriation Committees, respectively, including the websites where you may share comments. Please also forward this email to your networks, as appropriate.

Our unique strengths have helped us to nurture integrated pest management in the region and beyond. We would welcome an opportunity to continue serving in this capacity.

Best wishes,
Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, Co-director