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PASBO Videoconference on School IPM Is Success - November 2002
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - More than 250 attendees from eight sites across the state recently attended The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials' (PASBO) videoconference program to educate their members on new legislation that requires schools in Pennsylvania to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) plans.
IPM programs rely heavily on prevention, sanitation, maintenance, and monitoring to reduce pest populations. Pesticides are used only as a last resort as determined by monitoring. When a pesticide is needed, it is applied in an enclosed trap or on a spot treatment basis whenever possible and targeted to the specific pest.
The Pesticide Notification Acts will reduce unnecessary pesticide use by requiring public schools to adopt IPM. The Acts will also prohibit pesticide applications when students will be present in the school building or on school grounds for seven hours; and will require schools to notify parents who request advance notification before applying pesticides in the school or on its grounds. The bills will take effect as of January 1, 2003.
The videoconference included presentations on school IPM legislation by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), Penn State, the Pennsylvania Pest Management Association and school officials. Penn State Cooperative Extension was a partner in the effort, and cooperative extension agents were invited to attend the videoconference to begin collaborative relationship with PASBO and PDA in helping schools become educated about IPM.
Jeff Mizer, a Penn State Cooperative Extension agent from Snyder county, said his extension office has already been working with schools in helping them with their outdoor pest control programs for their athletic fields, ornamentals on school grounds and athletic fields. "We plan on helping schools with their indoor pest control as well by providing them with entomological fact sheets and other information, and helping where we can on a case by case basis," says Mizer.
Connie Schmotzer, a Penn State Cooperative Extension agent from York county, says she is very impressed how schools have embraced IPM and is thrilled that all schools in Pennsylvania will now be both practicing it and teaching it. "We've already been helping schools for years with landscape pest control. Schools can send us soil samples for testing, and we can identify and diagnose pest problems as well as advise on plant heath. This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of a growing movement, so we're looking forward to playing even more of a role in helping schools adopt IPM," says Schmotzer.
Videoconference topics included a presentation of a model IPM plan and policy developed by PDA, examples of requests for IPM plan proposals, resources available through Penn State Cooperative Extension and pesticide licensing issues. According to PDA IPM Coordinator Jim Steinhauer, the PDA will maintain a Hypersensitivity Registry to assist in the notification of students and employees who are especially sensitive to pesticide. "We've already distributed to schools a standard structural IPM agreement and are providing other materials and support to schools to aid them in developing IPM plans," says Steinhauer.
There was also a question and answer session following the presentations. These "Frequently Asked Questions" will be added to the existing questions from a previous video conference on the PA IPM Program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/schools/faq.html.
Additionally, many of the resources and Power Point presentations included in the videoconference will be posted on the PASBO Web site at http://www.pasbo.org under "Electronic Resource Center, says Curt Richards, assistant executive director of PASBO. For more information on PASBO, contact Curt Richards at (717) 540-9551, ext. 236, or by email at crichards@pasbo.org.
For more information on School IPM, go to the PA IPM Program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu. Under the "Schools" link find out more about the School IPM effort in Pennsylvania and links to educational material from across the country. You can also download several publications, including IPM for Pennsylvania Schools, A How-To Manual. In addition, there is an interactive database on the Web site to assist teachers with IPM background information, lesson plans and support materials throughout the U.S.
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations.