October School IPM 2015 eNewsletter

The October School IPM 2015 eNewsletter features the following articles: Fall is the Perfect Time to Overseed in Northern Climates, Calculate your School District’s IPM Budget and Pest Risk, and Outdoor and Field School IPM.

http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/Oct12_eNewsletter.htm            

If you have not done so already, please consider signing up for the monthly School IPM 2015 newsletter mailing list to:

·         Learn how you  can reduce pesticide use and pest complaints by more than 70%!

·         Create a successful IPM program with no long-term increase in pest management costs.

·         Learn strategies for managing  pests all year:

o   Fall – stinging insects

o   Spring – ants

o   New pests – bed bugs

·         Improve your ability to educate and gain cooperation from key staff  including maintenance, custodial and food service.

Signing up is easy.  Email your name and contact information to: newsletter@schoolipm2015.com

Bed Bug GRANT OPPORTUNITY Non-Profits and Tribes only = EPA Opportunity to Apply for 2013 EJ Small Grants - DEADLINE Jan 7, 2013

The EPA just announced today the availability of small grants (up to $30,000 each) for EJ related projects (certainly could include bed bugs and pesticide minimization in EJ areas) to non-profits and Tribes. Unfortunately, State universities and State agencies are NOT eligible. So, if you know of an advocacy organization that may be interested, please forward this announcement to them.

This may be a great opportunity especially for Tribes to start getting involved in bed bug stuff. Much more attention needs to be directed at Tribes to support bed bug activities.

DEADLINE  for submission is Jan 7, 2013. No match is required. EPA will host 4 pre-application conference calls (see below).

http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-rfp-2013.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

EPA Vacancy Announcements - School IPM Related

EPA's Biopesticides & Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD), Environmental Stewardship Branch is pleased to announce the posting of three vacancy announcements.  The Agency is establishing a Center of Expertise for School IPM to be located in Dallas, TX,  as part of efforts to increase adoption of IPM in schools.

One Environmental Protection Specialist position is being advertised at each of three grade levels (GS-09/11, GS-12/13, and GS-14). Each position is open to current federal employees (Merit Promotion) and those not currently federal employees (Delegated Examining).  The positions will members of BPPD's Environmental Stewardship Branch with an EPA Region 6 (Dallas, TX) duty station. Please pass along information on these announcements to those in your networks who may be interested.
 
Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/ for more information on the announcement. 

The specific announcement numbers for each position are:

Environmental Protection Specialist, GS-0028-09/11
DELEGATED EXAMINING = R-OCSPP-DE-2012-0047
MERIT PROMOTION = R-OCSPP-MP-2012-0054

Environmental Protection Specialist, GS-0028-12/13
DELEGATED EXAMINING = R-OCSPP-DE-2012-0048  
MERIT PROMOTION = R-OCSPP-MP-2012-0055

Environmental Protection Specialist (Lead), GS-0028-14
GS-14 - DELEGATED EXAMINING = R-OCSPP-DE-2012-0046
MERIT PROMOTION = R-OCSPP-MP-2012-0053

Applicants are encouraged to read the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section under HOW TO APPLY in the vacancy announcement and submit the required documentation in order to be considered for this vacancy.

California DPR 2013/2014 Pest Management Research Grant Solicitation Release

The Department of Pesticide Regulation's (DPR) 2013/2014 Pest Management Research Grant Solicitation is now available. DPR’s Research Grant Program will provide a total of $500,000 for research projects with terms of up to three years that develop practices to reduce use of high-risk pesticides and thereby the risk of unanticipated impacts on public health and the environment. DPR will consider proposals requesting $50,000 to $200,000.

Grant proposals must contribute to integrated pest management (IPM) systems by addressing the following:

   ● decision-making for pest management,

   ● preventing and managing pests, or

   ● improving application technologies.

Priority Research Topics include: 

   ● field agricultural fumigants 

   ● organophosphate insecticides used on cole crops in the Central Coast

Additional Research Topics include:

   ● rodent management to avoid hazards related to persistent residues in target animals

   ● precision application technology to address potential offsite movement or reduction in use of pesticides

   ● field scale demonstrations of innovative pest management practices

   ● cost comparisons of innovative and conventional practices to assist decision-making

   ● ant management practices to reduce potential pesticide runoff to surface water

If you are interested in this funding opportunity, please view the

2013/2014 Solicitation on DPR’s web site at <http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pestmgt/grants/research/solicitation.htm>.

Please feel free to pass this information on to other interested parties.

Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Monday, December 3, 2012.

A conference call will be held on at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, to answer questions regarding proposal development and any other questions about the grant program. Participation in the conference call is voluntary. The conference call-in number is (888) 390-3412 and the participant passcode is 50533.

For additional information on the Pest Management Research Grant Program, please visit <http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pestmgt/grants/research/index.htm>.

If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly Steinmann at

916-445-7929 or <ksteinmann@cdpr.ca.gov>.

Healthy School Newsletter, US EPA Region 10 Children's Environmental Health Website and Daily Tips for Children's Health Month

As you're settling into another school year, we hope you find time to read and enjoy the Fall 2012 edition of the Healthy School News. This edition is full of new resources, learning opportunities, and articles that will show you easy steps to help make your school healthier. Some articles may be of value to staff and other professionals in your school, so please feel free to print, forward or distribute it widely.

In addition, we're happy to announce the launch of our new Children's Environmental Health website. It includes even more information and links to support your important work in your schools, homes, and communities.

In celebration of Children's Health Month (October), be sure to follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter as we post daily tips on children's environmental health.

Feel free to share with your contacts, and please contact us with any suggestions, questions, or comments.

Have an excellent fall,

Your Region 10 Healthy Schools Team

Voluntary Guidelines to States - - School Environmental Health Program

Upcoming Webinar: Voluntary Guidelines to States: Development and Implementation of a School Environmental Health Program

Register for our upcoming webinars to learn more about healthy schools and the soon to be released Voluntary Guidelines to States:  Development and Implementation of a School Environmental Health Program.
 
October 17, 2012 (2:00-3:00 Eastern Daylight Time) Why Environmental Health Matters in Schools
Join EPA and Director of the Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health (SWCPEH) and Director of Graduate Programs in Environmental Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Larry K. Lowry, PhD to learn about the critical link between students and their environment and how it can effect their performance in school. Healthy school environments play an important role in the health and academic success of children. Children spend 90 percent of their time indoors, and much of that time is spent in school. Unhealthy school environments can affect attendance, concentration, and performance, as well as lead to expensive, time-consuming cleanup and remediation activities. Join our webinar to learn more about what schools can do to better address environmental health in schools. We will also introduce EPA’s new voluntary School Environmental Health: Development and Implementation Guidelines for States.
 
November 7, 2012 (2:00-3:00 Eastern Daylight Time)  Integrated School Health Tools for Districts
Join EPA again to  learn how your school or school district can create healthy environment for students by implementing a sustainable and comprehensive environmental health program that addresses issues such as cleaning practices, mold, chemical management, ventilation, and pest control. The webinar will also feature highlights, tips, and strategies from established state programs. Also, learn more about what resources are available to assist with establishing a school environmental health program.
 
Register for each webinar at:  https://esbuildings.webex.com/mw0306ld/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=esbuildings