IPM Program Summary
Since 1981, the Alaska Integrated Pest Management Program (AKIPMP) has been recognized as the premiere educational outreach program of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service (UAF-CES). This unique statewide, value-added program is a cooperatively funded effort, combining the primary resources of UAF-CES, the USDA/CSREES IPM Program, and the US Forest Service Region 10 Forest Health Program with secondary funding from the Alaska Division of Agriculture (Gypsy Moth Trapping) and the USDA/CSREES Western Plant Diagnostics Network (WPDN).
At the forefront of the AKIPMP are six seasonal (16 week) IPM
Technicians, placed within strategic urban and rural centers across the state.
These CSREES funded positions are the foundation upon which the entire
IPM outreach program is based. Supporting this seasonal outreach team is
our IPM Program Manager, one full-time 'invasive plants' faculty member
and one full time IPM staff member. Under the supervision of a faculty IPM
oversight committee, these combined faculty and staff form an experienced
IPM team responsive to a diverse audience, which includes urban and rural
residents, educators, youth groups, community agencies, agricultural and
horticultural producers, garden clubs, municipalities and the green industry.
Services Provided by AKIPMP Technicians include: Evaluation of plant, insect and disease disorders, including field-based tree and plant health issues, identification of insect, plant and disease specimens, researching information about pest biology & lifecycles, and the utilization of data for the recommendation of IPM control options. AKIPMP Technicians are state certified pest consultants that may advise the public on pesticide information and recommendations. IPM Technicians provide daily assistance, about the least-toxic and most effective, control options. This free assistance is research-based; and the public seeks out the IPM Program as an unbiased and reliable source of information. In 2006, over 2,000 insect, plant, and disease specimens were identified, statewide.
Program outreach methods include telephone, mail, email, and direct in- office (walk-in) and field-visit contacts with clientele. IPM educational programs, in the class and field, are provided to children and adults. Media contacts are made via television, radio, the internet, and in newspapers and newsletters. IPM publications are mailed, handed out, and distributed at public events, including state and regional conferences, workshops and fairs. Educational clinics and classes are advertised and held where clients receive direct assistance.
The AKIPMP team raises the pest management awareness level of more
than 14,000 Alaskans and tourists, annually. Adhering to the principles of
the National IPM Road Map, this program supports a least toxic, most
effective, economically sound and environmentally responsible approach to
pest control by offering clientele a wide range of pest management
alternatives. The AKIPMP Technicians are trained through the WPDN to
serve as proactive, first detectors through the performance of daily
monitoring, trapping and educational outreach to help prevent destructive,
imported pests from becoming established in Alaska's forests, woodlots,
agricultural fields, home gardens and greenhouses. This work facilitates
early detection and rapid response, helping to safeguard Alaska's natural
resources.