This cooperative agreement will allow the iowa department of agriculture and land stewardship to fund the employment of the state survey coordinator (SSC)

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship $142,750.21 under Cooperative Agreement AP26PPQFO000C078, effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The award funds employment of a state survey coordinator and personnel to conduct surveillance, outreach, and data management for exotic and invasive plant pests across Iowa.

Deliverables include semi-annual and annual accomplishment reports, establishment and coordination of the state Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) Committee, maintenance of accurate Iowa pest data in the USDA APHIS PPQ approved databases (NAPIS and IPHIS), and assistance with insect identification and pathway analysis. Field activities encompass corn and soybean acreage distribution surveys to establish trap locations for old-world bollworm and silver Y moth monitoring in counties adjacent to commodity fields, participation in the USDA APHIS PPQ spongy moth survey, khapra beetle surveys, and regional and state meeting attendance. Insect samples are screened with suspect specimens sent to an official identifier, and results are entered into the PPQ database.

Outcomes include survey data determining the presence and absence of target pests, enhanced outbreak response capability through accurate data collection and pest identification, effective CAPS surveys utilizing appropriate technology, and strengthened communication networks among agency, university, and program cooperators. Work is performed in Iowa.

Activities

Infrastructure travel to regional and state meetings. Conduct outreach for exotic, invasive plant pests. Serve as liaison for all state sponsored invasive species surveys. Conduct field crops, and khapra beetle surveys. Participate in the USDA, aphis, PPQ spongy moth survey. Perform data entry in a PPQ approved database (NAPIS). Field crop commodity survey determine the distribution of corn and soybean acreage throughout the state. Based on distribution, set and monitor traps in various counties for the old-world bollworm and silver Y moth near adjacent corn and soybean fields. The SSC will conduct much of the work for this survey. Insect samples will be screened, and suspects will be sent to an insect identifier for official identification. Survey results will be entered in the NAPIS PPQ database. Deliverables and expected outcomes: deliverables provided by the SSC semi-annual and annual accomplishment reports reviewed by the spro for submission to the sphd. Establishment and coordination of the state caps committee. Assist with identification of insects, pathways, and priority pest concerns. Maintain iowa data accurately in the PPQ approved database (NAPIS and iphis). Outcomes survey results that determine the presence and lack of presence of the target pests. Enhance the capability to respond to outbreaks of exotic pests with accurate data collection, pest identification, mapping, reporting, and tracking methods. Effective caps surveys that utilize appropriate technology and equipment for pest survey work and to facilitate identification. Effective communication networks with agency, university, and other program cooperators. Intended beneficiary(IES): the work accomplished by the SSC through this agreement will benefit the state's agriculture and natural resources. Those efforts will either provide data that assure target invasive species are non-existent or if found, will assist in TH EIR eradication or control. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: not applicable cost analysis: personnel-state survey coordinator @2080.02 hours 38.788=80,680.00; fringe benefits @47.139% of salary ($38,031.75) @43.2247%=16,439.10.