CDFA Releases Fire Ant Action Plan

For Immediate Release
Friday, March 19, 1999
Release CDFA99-011

Contact: Myrlys L. Williams
Oscar Hidalgo
(916) 654-0462

CDFA RELEASES FIRE ANT ACTION PLAN

Plan Builds Unique Alliance Between State and Local Communities

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) on Friday announced the release of an action plan to eradicate and control the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) infestation in Southern California.

The plan, which includes short-term and long-term components, gives local government maximum flexibility to customize any action taken against the ants to meet the needs of their residents and their community. The CDFA will create the infrastructure by providing assistance, coordination, technical support and public education efforts. The CDFA also will continue plant quarantine enforcement and detection activity to stop the spread of the pest.

"This is an innovative and responsible plan that essentially takes into account the needs of each individual county, city and community involved," said CDFA Secretary Bill Lyons. "Our primary focus here at CDFA was to develop a realistic plan that carefully considers the significant impacts this pest has on public health, native wildlife and the environment. This plan, we believe, satisfies that goal."

The short-term plan details the basic elements of the program, and focuses on sharing with county agencies the state’s expertise in pest eradication and control. This initial phase provides seed money of $2.8 million to assist counties and cities immediately begin treating the affected areas. The state will conduct a public education campaign to notify residents of the health risks from fire ant stings, how to eliminate the pest from their property, and enlist the help of residents in detecting the pest.

The second phase of the plan, or the California Action Plan, involves the ongoing development of an effective long-term, environmentally sensitive fire ant control and eradication program at the local level. The CDFA will work with local government to identify costs in order to prepare the final budget necessary to develop long-term funding sources.

The California Action Plan includes treatment, public outreach and quarantine enforcement at the local level, as well as a statewide survey of high-risk areas and a strengthened inspection process for the pest at California’s border inspection stations.

To develop this plan, CDFA solicited input from other state agencies including the Department of Fish and Game, Department of Forestry, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Water Resources, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Water Resources Control Board, Department of Health Services, CalTrans and the University of California. The CDFA also consulted with the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, local officials in Orange County, and agricultural interests.

The California Action Plan also calls for an annual review by a Science Advisory Panel comprised of nationally recognized fire ant experts. If after five years the program has not made substantial progress, as measured by a reduction in the number of ants found and identified in the State, the situation will be reevaluated with the intent of establishing a management program.

Red imported fire ant infestations were first discovered in California in October of 1998. CDFA surveys have since found infestations at varying levels in 26 cities in Orange County, portions of southern Los Angeles County and in Riverside County.

The entire plan is now available for download on CDFA’s web site at www.cdfa.ca.gov/pests.

Note: Residents in Southern California are encouraged to report any fire ant mounds by calling

CDFA’s Pest Response Line at 1-800-491-1899.

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