This agreement supports infrastructure and survey costs to conduct the yellow legged hornet survey and response in south carolina

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded Clemson University $3.606 million under Cooperative Agreement AP26PPQFO000C415 on May 12, 2026, to support infrastructure and survey costs for yellow legged hornet detection and response in South Carolina through May 11, 2027.

Clemson will fund staffing for one full-time state survey coordinator, one yellow legged hornet program coordinator, two full-time supervisory invasive species specialists, twelve full-time invasive species specialists, eight nursery district specialists, one invasive species program coordinator, one outreach coordinator, one or more regulatory special investigators, and five or more temporary part-time field technicians. The award also covers vehicles for program and outreach coordinators and managers to conduct project-related site visits and business travel.

Work encompasses trap placement and monitoring at three thousand or more locations across South Carolina in and around infested areas, with minimum regular trap checks following best-known practices. Clemson will employ visual tracking and triangulation, visual surveys, thermal imagery, and radio-tracking techniques to locate nests. The recipient will design and implement a public outreach program producing printed materials such as identification cards and flyers distributed during survey operations in high-risk areas, with content addressing yellow legged hornet threats and reporting procedures. Performance occurs in South Carolina.

Activities

The recipient will design and implement a general outreach program to educate the public on the threat of yellow legged hornets. Printed outreach materials, such as identification cards or flyers, will be produced and given out during survey operations to inform the public in high-risk areas. Materials will include information about the threat T HAT YLH poses and how to report sightings. The recipient will utilize visual tracking/triangulation, visual surveys, thermal imagery, and/or radio-tracking techniques to locate YLH nests. Trap checks for YLH will be conducted at a minimum of 3,000 sites regularly, following best-known practices. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the goal of this award to provide outreach, treat current infestations, and detect the presence of additional yellow legged hornet infestations in south carolina. The criteria used to evaluate the project include the ability of the state cooperator to complete agreed-upon outreach, detection, removal, and survey work. The anticipated results include the additional knowledge gained as to the presence yellow legged hornets, which will be measured by monitoring infested areas, survey data collected, timeliness of survey activities and ability to report those results to USDA in the agreed-upon timeframe. The goal is to monitor a minimum of 3,000 sites regularly, treat, and destroy all known YLH colonies. Intended beneficiary(IES): this award will benefit south carolina's residents, agricultural industries, apiaries, forestry industry and stakeholders. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: N/a