USDA - APHIS - Plant Health, Plant Protection and Quarantine, CPHST, NPAG

New Pest Advisory Group (NPAG)

Mission: The New Pest Advisory Group (NPAG) assess exotic plant pests that are new or imminent threats to U.S. agriculture or the environment and recommends appropriate actions to the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Deputy Administrator (DA).

Process: Detection of a new exotic plant pest or identification of a pathway for a new pest's introduction begins the process. When this happens, the NPAG assembles a panel of federal, state, and university experts that have knowledge of the pest or pest situation. The NPAG then develops recommendations through literature searches and discussions with the expert panel.

Who We Are: The New Pest Advisory Group (NPAG) is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program. It operates out of the Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory (PERAL), which is part of the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST). The NPAG is a small core team that coordinates activity from the PERAL. The core includes:

Chair:
David R. Prokrym (Entomologist)
Executive Secretary:
Alison D. Neeley (Entomologist)
Coordinator:
Stephanie M. Dubon (Ecologist)
Database Manager:
Andrea Sato (Plant Pathologist)
Analysts:
Ignacio Baez (Entomologist)
Daniel Borchert (Entomologist)
Lisa M. Ferguson (Plant Pathologist)
Lynn Garrett (Economist)
Tara M. Holtz (Biologist)
Laura Jeffers (Entomologist)
Anthony Koop (Botanist)
Cynthia Landry (Biologist)
Betsy Randall-Schadel (Plant Pathologist)
John Rogers (Plant Pathologist)
Kimberly Schwartzburg (Plant Pathologist)
Robert A. Schall (Plant Pathologist)

Expectations

What can a concerned grower, scientist, industry representative etc. expect from the NPAG (i.e. what will NPAG do)? The NPAG will work with interested and involved parties, survey the literature, gather expert opinion, and make recommendations that are in the best interest of safeguarding American plant resources. Only the PPQ Deputy Administrator (DA) can accept and put the recommendations into effect.

Here are some possible NPAG recommendations. (NOTE: The NPAG only makes recommendations. It is up to one of the PPQ programs to fulfill the recommendations)

Recommend the collection or development of additional information.
- Conduct a survey to assess geographic range, host range, or damage.
- Develop methods to detect, identify, control, or eradicate the pest.
Recommend no action.
Recommend an action.
- Eradicate the pest.
- Quarantine the infected or infested area.
- Evaluate biological or chemical control for pest management.
- Prepare and distribute educational information to the public.
Recommend that PPQ refer options and actions to other institutions, such as affected States or industries.

NPAG Authority

The Emergency Programs Manual lists various sources of NPAG authority.

The NPAG Process

Click here to view a flowchart of the NPAG Process

The linked flowchart outlines the NPAG Process. A variety of sources, such as other parts of PPQ, State Departments of Agriculture, the primary literature, and electronic alerts (e.g. the Phytosanitary Alert System and ProMED), notify the NPAG of new pests. When notified, the NPAG determines whether the pest is present or an imminent threat and whether or not it meets the definition of a quarantine pest. If the pest meets this definition, the NPAG prepares a report. The NPAG may convene a teleconference with subject matter experts to gather more information, or they may forward the report directly to the PPQ Executive Team, which includes the DA. This occurs when the organism is controversial or a major pest. The NPAG forwards minor pest reports to relevant groups in PPQ (e.g. National Identification Services or Emergency and Domestic Programs).

Sample NPAG Reports and Data Sheets

Teleconference Information

Possible participants for NPAG teleconferences or meetings:

State Plant Health Directors
PPQ Regional Directors
National Plant Board
State Plant Regulatory Officials
Pest and/or Commodity Experts from Universities, Museums, State or Federal Governments, Research Institutes, etc.
If warranted:
- Other Federal Agencies (e.g. USDA Forest Service, USDA-Agricultural Research Service)
- Other State Agencies
- Scientific Society Representatives

Who's Notified About NPAG Issues?

The following people may be notified regarding NPAG pest issues, especially when an NPAG teleconference is held:

National Plant Board:
- Mailing Address:
  Gran Haun
  Division of Regulatory Services
  Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture
  P. O. Box 40627
  Melrose Station
  Nashville, TN 37204
       Telephone: 615-837-5338
       Fax: 615-837-5246
       Email: Walker.Haun@state.tn.us
- Physical Address:
  Ellington Agricultural Center
  Porter Building
  440 Hogan Road
  Nashville, TN 37220
- Website :
  http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/regulate/plants/
PPQ State Plant Health Directors (SPHD) of involved states:
- List of SPHDs: http://www.ceris.purdue.edu/napis/names/sphdXstate.html
State Regulatory Officials (SPRO) of involved states:
- List of SPROs found at the National Plant Board Website:
  http://nationalplantboard.org/member/index.html - Members
Plant Protection and Quarantine Regional Directors:
Permanent NPAG CC List (PPQ Headquarters and Professional Development Center Staff)
Pest Experts from Universities, Museums, State or Federal Governments, Research Institutes, etc.

If warranted, the following groups/area specialists may be called:

Groups:

American Nursery and Landscape Association - Requires approval from the NPAG Chair.
Other Industry Representatives - Requires approval from the NPAG Chair.
Scientific Society Representatives

Area Specialists:

Insects (Class Insecta): Joe Cavey (PPQ)
- Beetles (Order Coleoptera):
  - Families Bostrichidae, Meloidae, and Scarabaeidae: Chuck Brodel (PPQ)
  - Families Byrrhidae, Coccinellidae, Elateridae, Lyctidae, Platypodidae, and Scolytidae: Natalia Vandenberg (ARS)
  - Families Cerambycidae and Curculionidae: Steven Lingafelter (ARS)
  - Family Chrysomelidae: Alexander Konstantinova (ARS)
- Bugs (Order Hemiptera):
  - Aphids and Phylloxerans (Superfamily Aphidoidea): Gary Miller (ARS)
  - Armored Scales and Whiteflies (Families Diaspididae and Aleyrodidae): John W. Dooley (PPQ)
  - Cicadas and Hoppers (Suborder Auchenorrhyncha): Stuart Mckamey (ARS)
  - Scale Insects and Psyllids (Superfamilies Coccoidea and Psylloidea): Douglass Miller (ARS)
  - True Bugs (Suborder Heteroptera): Thomas Henry (ARS)
- Butterfiles and Moths (Order Lepidoptera):
  - Case Bearing Moths and Relatives (Superfamily Gelechioidea): David Adamski (ARS)
  - Families Geometridae, Noctuidae, Notodontidae, and Saturniidae: Steven Passoa (PPQ)
  - Plume and Snout Moths (Superfamilies Pterophoroidea and Pyraloidea): Alma Solis (ARS)
  - Tortricid Moths (Family Tortricidae): John W. Brown (ARS)
- Flies (Order Diptera):
  - Families Anthomyiidae, Asilidae, Braulidae, Phoridae, and Pipunculidae: Chris Thompson (ARS)
  - Fruit Flies (Family Tephritidae): Allen Norrbom (ARS)
- Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids (Order Orthoptera): David Nickle (ARS)
- Plant-Feeding Wasps (Order Hymenoptera): Michael Gates (ARS)
- Termites (Order Isoptera): David Nickle (ARS)
- Thrips (Family Thysanoptera): Susan Broda-Hydorn (PPQ)
Mites: Ron Ochoa (ARS-SEL)
Mollusks: David Robinson (PPQ)
Nematodes: David Chitwood (ARS)
Plant Diseases: Mary Palm (PPQ)
- Viruses: Ed Podleckis (PPQ)
Weeds: Alan Tasker or Polly Lehtonen (PPQ)

Links of Interest

Pest Alerts/Emerging Plant Pest Information

Plant Pathology Resources

Nematology Resources

Malacology Resources

American Malacological Society

Entomology Resources

Weed Resources

Other Resources

Contact Information

Email	npag@aphis.usda.gov
Chair	Brain M. Spears (Email: brian.m.spears@aphis.usda.gov )
Executive Secretary	Alison D. Neeley (Email: alison.d.neeley@aphis.usda.gov)
Webmaster	NPAG (Email: npag@aphis.usda.gov)
Address	USDA, APHIS, PPQ, CPHST, PERAL 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27606.