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ALASKA CAPS PROGRAM

What is CAPS?

The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) is a joint effort between states and federal agriculture agencies. The purpose of this program is to help safeguard agricultural and environmental resources by ensuring that new introductions of harmful exotic pests and diseases are detected before they are able to cause significant damage. This is accomplished through survey, detection, and monitoring efforts of exotic plant pests, which include plant diseases, insects, weeds, nematodes, and other invertebrate organisms. CAPS is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Alaska CAPS Surveys

Alaska has been involved with the CAPS program since the early 1980's.

Surveys are prioritized based on Alaska's agricultural and environmental resource industry needs. The Alaska's CAPS Committee is an advisory group for Alaska CAPS survey activities. When deciding which surveys to conduct, the CAPS program takes into consideration requests made by industry members.

Through the years, CAPS has conducted surveys for potato cyst nematode, emerald ash borer, light brown apple moth, purple loosestrife, Illyrian thistle, giant hogweed, pine wilt nematode, potato late blight, peony mosaic virus, tobacco rattle virus nematode, and thrips associated with peonies to name a few.

Alaska CAPS Committee:

The committee is made up of the State Plant Health Director, State Plant Regulatory Official, Pest Survey Specialist, State Survey Coordinator, State Operations Coordinator, and various specialists including plant pathologists, forest entomologists, weed specialists, and cooperative extension service staff. The Alaska CAPS Committee includes individuals who are active in the Alaskan agricultural community and knowledgeable about the pests and diseases that have the potential to make it to and establish in Alaska.

Name Specialty / Function Address
Timothy St. Germain State Plant Health Director, WA & AK USDA APHIS PPQ33400
9th Avenue S.
Federal Way, WA 98003
Mia Kirk State Plant Regulatory Officer Alaska Division of Agriculture
1800 Glenn Hwy, Suite 12
Palmer, AK 99645-6736
Yolanda Inguanzo Pest Survey Specialist for WA & AK, Entomologist USDA APHIS PPQ
1550 Irving St SW, Suite 100
Tumwater, WA 98512
Jina Malone Acting State Survey Coordinator Alaska Division of Agriculture
1800 Glenn Highway, Suite 12
Palmer, AK 99645-6736
Clinton Campbell, Ph.D. State Operations Coordinator Entomologist, WA & AK USDA-APHIS
Gino Graziano University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cooperative Extension Service
Pest Mgt. Program Manager
Cooperative Extension Service
1675 C Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phil Kaspari University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cooperative Extension Service
Weed Specialist - Grain & Forage
Cooperative Extension Service
P.O. Box 349
Delta Junction, AK 99737
Jason Moan Forest Entomologist Alaska Division of Forestry
550 W. 7th Avenue, Ste 1450
Anchorage, AK 99501-3566
Todd Steinlage Plant Pathologist Alaska Division of Agriculture
Plant Materials Center
5310 S Bodenburg Spur
Palmer, AK 99645
Elizabeth Graham Forest Entomologist USDA Forest Service
Alaska State & Private Forestry
11175 Auke Lake Way
Juneau, AK 99801

Current Surveys -

Nursery Survey
Asian Defoliator Moth Survey

Contact

Mia Kirk
(907) 767-3866
mia.kirk@alaska.gov

Jina Malone
(907) 761-3858
jina.malone@alaska.gov

Additional Resources:

CAPS Website
Pest Tracker: Exotic Pest Reporting
USDA-APHIS-PPQ Website
Bugwood Network