The RE-emergence of NSW poses a threat to US cattle and wildlife

To keep the US free of NSW, genetic biocontrol is likely to be proposed as a tool. The social challenges involved in implementing genetic biocontrol in the US will be significant, requiring an approach to governance that promotes early stakeholder engagement with multiple kinds of expertise. Our goal is to identify potential challenges and effective approaches to engaging stakeholders in assessing proposed genetic biocontrol technologies against NSW. We propose a workshop to include multidisciplinary participants and attendees to inform the discussion of risk assessment and governance issues related to NSW control. Our specific objectives are:1: to gather and analyze stakeholders' perspectives on the perceived harms, benefits, and feasibility of genetic biocontrol technologies for NSW (research component).2: to provide participants with scientific information on genetic biocontrol technologies to inform policy and practice in NSW management and to learn from different stakeholders how to design effective engagement strategies (extension component).this project addresses the program priorities of the social implications of food and agricultural technologies program regarding the assessment of the social, ethical, cultural, policy, legal, and other potential impacts that genetic biocontrol may pose for society. By involving a range of individuals assessing the risks and benefits of genetic biocontrol, we will document salient issues that may impact stakeholder engagement that can be used to design open and participatory approaches to effective future stakeholder engagement and public deliberation on genetic pest control of NSW.