EPA School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Grants

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EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) announces the availability of approximately $700,000 for assistance agreements to further, through research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, or studies, the adoption of verifiable integrated pest management (IPM) by the nation’s kindergarten to 12th grade public and tribal schools. IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks. A school IPM program uses easily implementable strategies to reduce sources of food, water, and shelter for pests in school buildings and grounds. Verifiable school IPM is an ongoing activity that includes all of these documented elements: understanding pests; setting action thresholds for key pests, i.e., knowing when to take action against key pests; monitoring for pests, their locations and populations; removing conditions that allow pest infestation; and using one or more effective pest control methods including sanitation, structural maintenance, and nonchemical methods in place of or in combination with pesticides.

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