Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded $300,000 to the Ohio Department of Agriculture on August 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to support statewide monitoring, survey, and suppression activities for Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) throughout Ohio. The project funds ODA's assessment of SLF pathways, detection and delimitation of infestations, deployment of traps, application of treatments, and stakeholder outreach. The award supports expanded inspections and data collection to address increasing SLF detections and mitigate the pest's potential for human-assisted spread across the state.

Key deliverables include documented survey results, identification of infested and high-risk locations, treatment activities, data entry into the National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS), updated maps of SLF and Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven), public outreach materials, and reports summarizing project outcomes and stakeholder engagement. The funding will enable rapid response to new infestations and prevent uncontrolled SLF population expansion that could threaten Ohio's grape, fruit tree, nursery, and logging industries. The 12-month project period extends through July 31, 2027, with budgeted costs including personnel ($86,351), fringe benefits ($43,176), travel ($3,624), supplies ($10,500), contractual services ($120,000), other expenses ($17,101), and indirect costs ($19,248).