Service Area Strategic Plan
5/18/2013   5:38 pm
Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (301)
Biennium:
Service Area 1 of 1
Plant Pest and Disease Prevention and Control Services (301 535 04)
Description

This service area protects the agricultural and horticultural interests of the Commonwealth. Services include:

•Preventing the establishment of or retarding the spread of designated nuisance or injurious pests, or the introduction of new pests, through the use of using environmentally sound practices
•Reducing the environmental effects and impact on consumers of nuisance and injurious pests including insects, plant diseases, and weeds
•Enhancing the marketability of Virginia's agricultural commodities through pest-free certification of products for interstate and international trade
•Protecting existing plant and insect populations considered threatened or endangered
•Promoting the science of beekeeping to ensure Virginia's growers of a continuing supply of healthy pollinators
Background Information
Mission Alignment and Authority
  • Describe how this service supports the agency mission
    This service area directly aligns with VDACS mission of promoting the economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture, providing consumer protection, and encouraging environmental stewardship.
  • Describe the Statutory Authority of this Service
    Chapter 7 of Title 3.2 of the Code of Virginia (Code) authorizes the Commissioner of VDACS to conduct survey, eradication and suppression measures for plant pests determined to be new or injurious and authorizes the establishment of quarantines.

    Chapter 38 of Title 3.2 of the Code provides for annual inspection of all Virginia plant nurseries; authorizes the stop sale of nursery stock or articles suspected of being infested or infected with plant pests; and provides for the inspection and certification of plants or plant products to allow pest-free sale or movement.

    Chapter 8 of Title 3.2 of the Code authorizes the Commissioner to survey for weeds not widely distributed in Virginia and when an infestation exists within the Commonwealth, he may request the Board to declare the weed to be noxious; the Board may establish quarantines to prevent the movement or sale of noxious weeds; and the Commissioner shall conduct eradication or suppression of noxious weeds to prevent their dissemination in the Commonwealth.

    Chapter 44 of Title 3.2 of the Code mandates inspection of bee colonies suspected of being infected with disease and requires eradication or control of such disease; mandates inspection and certification of colonies offered for sale and colonies to be transported interstate when requested; and promotes the science of beekeeping to ensure an adequate supply of pollinators.

    Chapter 10 of Title 3.2 of the Code authorizes the Commissioner to take actions necessary to conserve, protect, restore or propagate endangered or threatened species of plants and insects; allows controlled harvest of a species listed as threatened when the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services has determined that its abundance in the Commonwealth justifies such harvest; and prohibits the removal, possession, transport, and sale of threatened or endangered species other than from a person’s own land.
Customers
Agency Customer Group Customer Customers served annually Potential annual customers
Ag/Forest Product Exporters Ag/Forest Product Exporters 100 150
Beekeepers Beekeepers 100 800
Cotton Growers Cotton Growers 400 750
Virginia farmers Farmers/Fruit & Vegetable Growers 500 500
Ginseng Growers/Dealers Ginseng Growers/Dealers 8,000 10,000
Nursery Dealers (Retailers) and Nursery Growers (Wholesalers) Nursery Dealers (Retailers) 350 1,700
Nursery Dealers (Retailers) and Nursery Growers (Wholesalers) Nursery Growers (Wholesalers) 375 375
Property Developers Property Developers 800 1,000

Anticipated Changes To Agency Customer Base
None.
Partners
Partner Description
[None entered]
Products and Services
  • Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
    None.
  • Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
    The number of clients served in these categories has increased, driven primarily by global demand. We expect the overall number of clients served to continue to increase.
  • Listing of Products and/or Services
    • Regulatory Pest Control: This service area prevents the establishment or slows the spread of plant pests not known to occur in the Commonwealth or which are established only in a limited area of the state. The number of exotic plant pests threatening establishment in the Commonwealth such as fire ant, cotton boll weevil, emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, Asian longhorn beetle, gypsy moth, African honey bee, small hive beetle, giant Salvinia, and orobanche, continues to increase. Eradication and/or control techniques continue to prevent wide-spread infestation levels across the state.
    • Pest-free Certification: This service area enhances the marketability of Virginia's agricultural and forestry commodities by providing phytosanitary inspection and certification for export to other states and countries. This service area seeks to ensure the availability of pest-free nursery stock through annual registration and inspection of Virginia nursery growers and dealers.
    • Plant Pest Assistance & Education: This service area assists property owners in reducing the effects of major nuisance pests through the use of environmentally sound practices, and provides educational material and presentations regarding invasive species and plant pests.
    • Threatened/Endangered Species: This service area reviews environmental assessments and coordinates strategies to ensure the continued protection of state or federal threatened or endangered plant and insect species that are found in or near major construction project areas. This service area also provides registration of Virginia ginseng dealers and inspects/certifies ginseng to allow its sale and export.
    • Apiary Inspection: This service area inspects honey bee colonies for disease and overall health in order to ensure the adequate pollination of crops and the safe interstate movement of colonies. This service area also assists fruit and vegetable growers in locating pollination sources and conducts outreach efforts to educate the public on the benefits of honey bee pollination to Virginia’s production of food crops.
Finance
  • Financial Overview
    [Nothing entered]
  • Financial Breakdown
    FY 2011    FY 2012
      General Fund     Nongeneral Fund        General Fund     Nongeneral Fund  
    Base Budget $1,834,015 $2,961,704    $1,834,015 $2,961,704
    Change To Base -$30,610 $0    -$30,610 $0
               
    Service Area Total   $1,803,405  $2,961,704     $1,803,405  $2,961,704 
Human Resources
  • Human Resources Overview
    [Nothing entered]
  • Human Resource Levels
    Effective Date      
    Total Authorized Position level null    
    Vacant Positions null    
    Current Employment Level 0.0    
    Non-Classified (Filled)    
    Full-Time Classified (Filled)    breakout of Current Employment Level
    Part-Time Classified (Filled)    
    Faculty (Filled)    
    Wage    
    Contract Employees    
    Total Human Resource Level 0.0   = Current Employment Level + Wage and Contract Employees
  • Factors Impacting HR
    [Nothing entered]
  • Anticipated HR Changes
    [Nothing entered]
Service Area Objectives
 
  • Enhance the economic viability of agriculture and forestry products through the movement of products in the interstate and international marketplace.
    Objective Description
    The successful export of Virginia agricultural and forestry products is dependent upon expedient and effective inspections, and the timely issuance of Phytosanitary Certificates.
    Alignment to Agency Goals
    • Agency Goal: Enhance opportunities for the growth, profitability and continued viability of the Virginia agriculture industry.
      Comment: This objective directly aligns with the VDACS mission of promoting the economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture, providing consumer protection, and encouraging environmental stewardship, and with long term objective #2, as promulgated by the Council on Virginia's Future, regarding the preservation and enhancement of our economy.
    Objective Strategies
    • Maintain the use of USDA's electronic Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking (PCIT) system by field personnel.
    • Pursue federal grant funding to support export inspections, inspector training, and issuance of phytosanitary certificates.
    • Work with USDA counterparts to evaluate PCIT system data and implement reporting mechanism to determine timeliness of issuance of phytosanitary certifiecates.
    Link to State Strategy
    • nothing linked
    Objective Measures
    • Percentage of phytosanitary certificates issued by the projected date of shipment following receipt of a properly completed application
      Measure Class:
      Other
      Measure Type:
      Output
      Measure Frequency:
      Annual
      Preferred Trend:
      Maintain
      Measure Baseline Value:
      100
      Date:
      6/30/2009

      Measure Baseline Description: As of the end of FY 09, 100% of phytosanitary certificates were issued prior to the projected date of shipment

      Measure Target Value:
      100
      Date:
      6/30/2012

      Measure Target Description: Maintain the baseline of 100% of phytosanitary certificates issued by the projected date of shipment

      Data Source and Calculation: Phytosanitary Certificates for agricultural and forestry products are issued by service area inspectors at the request of producers. Each certificate is individually numbered, and an automated application is used to track their issuance.

  • Ensure the protection and economic viability of Virgina's agricultural and horticultural industries and resources through inspections, certifications and compliance monitoring activities.
    Objective Description
    Increase by 5% the number of inspections, certifications, and compliance monitoring conducted to protect Virginia's agricultural and horticultural resources from injurious plant pests and diseases and to support the sale and export of agricultural commodities. This service area provides timely and effective inspection of grown and purchased nursery stock, education and assistance with control of plant pests, pest-free certification of inspected nursery stock for sale and out-of-state movement, and compliance inspections at retail establishments to ensure that plant material shipped to Virginia is free of pests. This service area also inspects colonies of honey bees for disease and overall health to maintain adequate pollination for crops and to meet related interstate transport requirements.
    Alignment to Agency Goals
    • Agency Goal: Provide agricultural and consumer protection services that support economic growth, meet consumer needs, and encourage environmental stewardship.
    Objective Strategies
    • Provide detection, certification, control, and eradication services to prevent the introduction or slow the spread of designated invasive pest species.
    • Provide efficient registration services for all nursery growers, as well as timely disease detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective disease control recommendations.
    • Conduct surveys and assist with recovery and conservation projects for listed endangered or threatened plant and insect species.
    • Provide timely inspections and certifications to support sustainable sales and export of Virginia grown ginseng.
    • Conduct inspections and educational site visits to assist Virginia beekeepers in diagnosing and controlling Colony Collapse Disorder.
    Link to State Strategy
    • nothing linked
    Objective Measures
    • Number of site visits to conduct inspections, certifications and compliance monitoring.
      Measure Class:
      Other
      Measure Type:
      Output
      Measure Frequency:
      Annual
      Preferred Trend:
      Up
      Measure Baseline Value:
      20354
      Date:
      6/30/2009

      Measure Baseline Description: As of the end of FY 09, the number of site visits was 20,354.

      Measure Target Value:
      21000
      Date:
      6/30/2012

      Measure Target Description: 21000 site visits will be conducted

      Data Source and Calculation: Inspectional data is submitted by field personnel to their regional office where the data for that region is compiled and submitted to Richmond headquarters for the preparation of service area activity reports using an automated application. Budget costs, requests for service, number of site visits, inspectional, and certification data can be directly read.

  • Maintain the emergency plant pest detection and response capabilities to prevent or minimize potential plant health crises.
    Objective Description
    This service area, in conjunction with other state and federal agencies, effectively works to mitigate the impact of plant health emergencies that result from the natural, accidental or intentional introduction of plant pests or diseases that would have an adverse impact on Virginia's agricultural, horticultural, and forest communities.
    Alignment to Agency Goals
    • Agency Goal: Provide services that prevent or minimize the impact of emergency agricultural infestations, animal disease outbreaks, foodborne illness outbreaks, and natural and manmade disasters.
    • Agency Goal: Provide services that prevent or minimize the impact of emergency agricultural infestations, animal disease outbreaks, foodborne illness outbreaks, and natural and manmade disasters.
    Objective Strategies
    • The Office of Plant & Pest Services will maintain an Emergency Plant Pest Action Plan to include mechanisms for surveillance and early detection, rapid response, safe disposal, training, public education, and effective communication to address exotic plant pest threats and infestations through June 30, 2012.
    • The Office of Plant & Pest Services will increase its Homeland Security preparedness by pursuing federal grants that will enhance its ability to monitor and control plant pests of potential bio-terrorism concern through June 30, 2012.
    • The Office of Plant & Pest Services will enhance VDACS' plant pathology laboratory's ability to provide effective diagnostic testing for plant diseases, including those listed on the Homeland Security list of select agents of bio-terrorism concern, by continuing to upgrade laboratory testing capabilities, providing necessary staff training, and ensuring adequate laboratory staffing through June 30, 2012.
    Link to State Strategy
    • nothing linked
    Objective Measures
    • Number of samples diagnosed by staff in the Plant Pathology Laboratory.
      Measure Class:
      Other
      Measure Type:
      Output
      Measure Frequency:
      Annual
      Preferred Trend:
      Up
      Measure Baseline Value:
      928
      Date:
      6/30/2007

      Measure Baseline Description: As of the end of FY 07, the average number of samples diagnosed was 928.

      Measure Target Value:
      1200
      Date:
      6/30/2012

      Measure Target Description: Laboratory diagnosis of 1,200 samples per year.

      Data Source and Calculation: The accurate tracking of each sample is critical in order to maintain the chain of custody. Such tracking is accomplished through the use of an automated application.


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