The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) will honor three organizations for their achievements in reducing risk from pesticide use in a public ceremony on February 20, 2020. The awards will be presented at 1:30 p.m. in the Sierra Hearing Room, California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) at 1001 I St. in Sacramento. It will be webcast at https://video.calepa.ca.gov/
The IPM Achievement Award recognizes organizations that use integrated pest management (IPM) to address the diverse pest management needs throughout California. IPM is a methodology that reduces the use of chemical pesticides by allowing people to manage pests by using preventative and natural strategies.
“I am pleased to see the City of Irvine, the UC IPM Almond Pest Management team, and the West Valley folks are all using innovative and sustainable pest management techniques that have been proven both effective and safer for the environment,” said DPR director Val Dolcini. “IPM is about managing pests successfully through more sustainable practices while reducing the need for synthetic pesticides. Congratulations to this year’s winners.”
The 2019 IPM Achievement Award Winners are:
The City of Irvine – The City of Irvine is receiving an award for its effort to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides as it manages pests. What began in 2005 as an experiment with biological controls using predatory insects has now blossomed into a comprehensive program that prioritizes non-chemical pest control methods. The City of Irvine believes that this is the most practical and responsible way to manage municipal landscapes and parks. Irvine may utilize synthetic pesticides when necessary to control stubborn pest species, but the city has shown that an integrated pest management approach can be successfully utilized on a large-scale project.
UC IPM Almond Pest Management Alliance Team – The UC IPM Almond Pest Management Alliance Team (UCPMA) is receiving an award for their vigorous promotion of IPM as well as acting as a hub for growers, Pest Control Advisors, researchers, and others to organize their collective efforts, and rapidly respond to arising pest issues. Most notably, UCPMA has focused strongly on encouraging the adoption of mating disruption technology for a pest known as navel orangeworm, a major threat to almond orchards, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. This particular technology saw a rapid rise in adoption after UCPMA began demonstrating projects that proved it to be an economical pest control method in orchards.
The West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District – This organization is receiving an award for its leadership in community outreach. Located in San Bernardino County, it has helped to educate many local residents on best management practices to avoid mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases. It collaborates with local water management agencies, dairies, and farms to provide education about improving water circulation and promoting better irrigation practices in the community as a means of vector management. WVMVCD’s efforts have resulted in significantly fewer pesticide applications, and it has not applied a chemical pesticide to kill adult mosquitos since 2013. WVMVCD serves as a model for community engagement, state-of-the-art research, and mosquito IPM.
You can find out more about the IPM awards and previous winners here