The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an investment of more than $90 million under Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act (PPA 7721) to support 441 projects that will strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to invasive plant pests and diseases; safeguard the U.S. nursery system; and enhance pest detection, diagnostics, and mitigation efforts. States, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, universities, and other partners will carry out these projects across 49 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
“This investment equips our partners nationwide with the tools they need to safeguard U.S. agriculture, natural resources, and food security,” said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “These projects strengthen our collective ability to combat invasive plant pests and diseases, support growers, and open new export opportunities for American agricultural products.”
Of the 441 projects, 421 fall under the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (PPDMDPP) and 20 support the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). PPDMDPP projects address critical needs across the safeguarding continuum—prevention, early detection, rapid response, and mitigation of invasive pests and diseases. NCPN projects maintain the infrastructure needed to produce clean, pathogen tested planting materials that support the long-term health and competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop industries.
Selected FY 2026 projects include:
- $5,665,233 to support detector dog team training and maintenance for domestic pest detection in California, Florida, and nationwide.
- $1,253,641 to support Tribal plant protection research, survey, outreach, and invasive pest mitigation efforts in five states.
- $1,667,415 for national honey bee surveys in 47 states and territories.
- $760,575 to survey and protect American boxwoods from the invasive box tree moth.
- $967,800 for stone fruit and orchard pest detection surveys in 10 states, including Colorado, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Source : usda.gov