EPA Solicits Regional Agriculture IPM Grants Proposals for 2011

The EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs is soliciting proposals for new Regional Agricultural IPM Grants totaling $500,000 for projects that support Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to reduce pesticide risk in agriculture. The agency anticipates funding approximately 10 projects, one per EPA Region, with a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project.

Assistance under this competition is available to states, the District of Columbia, territories, city or township governments, county governments, any agency or instrumentality of a state including state universities and all federally recognized Indian tribal governments to implement integrated pest management in agricultural settings in the United States. Initial applications must be submitted on or before Monday, September 19, 2011.

The goal of these grants is to reduce the risks associated with the use of pesticides in agriculture by increasing IPM adoption. These grants were developed to help formalize and expand public-private stewardship and collaborative pesticide risk reduction efforts in agriculture.

The Regional Agriculture IPM Grant is one of many grants that the agency issues to further the adoption of promising technologies and practices that reduce pesticide risk in various sectors. The agency recently announced the availability of approximately $1 million in grants to further the implementation of IPM in and around the nation's public schools.