1.

This Cooperative Agreement award, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care Federal Grant Program (CFDA 10.025), is intended to conduct delimited trapping and surveying for the Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis; BTM) in several Ohio counties. The $477,817 award, effective from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, will support the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) in placing BTM traps at boxwood production, distribution, and holding locations near the known edge of the BTM infestation. ODA will also work with stakeholders to encourage population suppression measures and evaluate the effectiveness of techniques for area-wide BTM deployment. Additionally, the award will fund outreach and education efforts to key stakeholders in Ohio and neighboring states. The goal is to delimit the BTM infestation to inform USDA and ODA's regulatory decisions and prevent the spread of BTM to other areas through nursery stock movement.

Purpose

Conduct delimitation trapping and survey for box tree moth (cydalima perspectalis; BTM) around, and outward from the original detection, to include hamilton, clermont, butler, warren, montgomery, and greene counties through october 2024. 2.

Activities

Place BTM traps at all boxwood (buxus SPP.) production, distribution, and holding locations within proximity of the known leading edge of BTM. Work with key stakeholders in BTM-infested communities to encourage population suppression measures and studies to gauge the effectiveness of existing or new techniques or new technologies for area-wide deployment. Conduct outreach and education to key stakeholders throughout ohio and neighboring states. 3. Deliverables and expected outcomes: delimitation of the recently detected BTM infestation will allow USDA and ODA to make informed decisions on where to draw regulatory boundaries and where to focus resources. A robust trapping program inside or near regulated businesses (nurseries and plant dealers) will be critical in preventing the spread of BTM from ohio to kentucky, indiana, or to other areas via nursery stock movement. The infestation status, treatment histories, and trapping data can be used to refine knowledge gaps and test best practices. 4. Intended beneficiary(IES): ohio's nurseries, plant dealers, residential areas, and the whole USA. 5. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: none at this time.