USDA Grants More Than $1.8 Million to Protect Oregon Crops and Natural Resources

Press Release

Media Contacts:
Cecilia Sequeira, 202-494-5083
k.cecilia.sequeira@usda.gov

Suzanne Bond, 301-538-9322
suzanne.m.bond@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2025 - Oregon is set to receive more than $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to combat invasive plant pests and diseases and protect the state’s vital agriculture and natural resources. This funding is part of a $70 million nationwide initiative supporting 357 projects across 49 states, Tribal lands, Guam, and Puerto Rico, authorized under the Plant Protection Act Section 7721.

“Oregon is home to over 35,500 farms and ranches spanning 15.3 million acres of farmland. As a major producer of hay, wheat, potatoes, blueberries, hazelnuts, and pears, Oregon plays a vital role in our nation’s agriculture,” said USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “These projects are essential to safeguarding Oregon’s agricultural resources, which are critical to ensuring our national food security.”

The funding will support projects covering a range of plant health protection activities, including, but not limited to:

• $322,163 to survey for Asian defoliator moths;
• $320,000 to support National Clean Plant Network plant stocks for berries;
• $185,137 to evaluate biocontrol agents for spotted lanternfly and box tree moth;
• $161,733 to create a chemical lure that mimics bread dough smells to trap invasive slugs and snails;
• $160,607 to develop and evaluate new methods to detect invasive pests that threaten blueberries;
• $138,620 to conduct nursery and retail chain surveys to protect fruit crops from invasive pests in the state;
• $142,719 to research invasive Arion slug species in the U.S. and develop tools to help detect and manage them;
• 127,758 to survey for invasive pests that attack fruit crops in Oregon; and
• $93,298 to study the effects climate change may have on invasive pests and their suitable habitats.

These efforts are part of a broader mission to ensure U.S. agriculture thrives in the face of new challenges. Since 2009, USDA has invested nearly $940 million in more than 5,800 projects to detect and respond to invasive plant pests and diseases quickly. This work also ensures specialty crop producers have access to certified, disease-free plants.

For a full list of projects funded in Oregon and nationwide, visit the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website (562.47 KB).