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Important Update
Inspector Updates
Over the past several semesters, Versant has been very fortunate to employ bright college interns who completed short-term projects like executing member mailings, organizing our office, and updating data. This spring, an opportunity presented to bring a more consistent face to Versant Strategies. 
 
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Bridget Cole. Bridget graduated from Delaware Valley University with a degree in plant science. Since graduation, she returned to Central PA to start her own wedding-based floriculture business called Rhapsody in Bloom. We are excited to have Bridget’s customer service, positive attitude, and attention to detail support our association management clients as well as Versant’s day-to-day operations. If you see bcole@versantstrategies.net reaching out, please know that it's Bridget on official PPMA business!

Please note the updated guidances and information below that may be helpful as you continue to operate through the pandemic. We are here to be helpful! Let us know how we can best assist you and your business. Contact Caleb Wright at cwright@versantstrategies.net or his mobile device, 717-319-4638.

We'd love to hear how you and your business is doing during the pandemic. If you have a story to share, please let us know! We are looking for the best ways to deliver technical education and will be reaching out to Penn State and others to support this effort.
PWIPM Leadership Webinar
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EPA Approves Experimental Use Permit to Test Innovative Biopesticide Tool to Better Protect Public Health​
Today, after extensive evaluation of the best available science and public input, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted an experimental use permit (EUP) to Oxitec Ltd. to field test the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a way to reduce mosquito populations to protect public health from mosquito-borne illnesses.

To meet today’s public health challenges head-on, the nation needs to facilitate innovation and advance the science around new tools and approaches to better protect the health of all Americans. After all appropriate approvals are garnered, EPA looks forward to receiving field test results regarding the effectiveness of this promising new tool that could help combat the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like the Zika virus.

The EUP is designed to test the effectiveness of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a way to reduce mosquito populations in a controlled environment with appropriate safeguards as a first step to potentially wider use in the United States. The company must receive state and local approval before proceeding with field testing.

Oxitec’s carefully developed field tests will be conducted, if approved by state and local authorities, over a two-year period in Monroe County, Florida, beginning in summer 2020, and in Harris County, Texas, beginning in 2021.

During these field tests, Oxitec will release into the environment male mosquitoes genetically modified to carry a protein that will inhibit the survival of their female offspring when they mate with wild female mosquitoes. The male offspring will survive to become fully functional adults with the same genetic modification, providing multi-generational effectiveness that could ultimately lead to a reduction in Aedes aegypti mosquito populations in the release areas. EPA anticipates that this could be an effective tool to combat the spread of certain mosquito-borne diseases like the Zika virus in light of growing resistance to current insecticides.

Since only male mosquitoes will be released into the environment and they do not bite people, they will not pose a risk to people. It is also anticipated that there would be no adverse effects to animals such as bats and fish in the environment.

Oxitec is required to monitor and sample the mosquito population weekly in the treatment areas to determine how well the product works for mosquito control and to confirm that the modified genetic traits disappear from the male Aedes aegypti mosquito population over time. EPA has also maintained the right to cancel the EUP at any point during the 24-month period if unforeseen outcomes occur.

EPA’s decision and the approved permit are available in Regulations.gov in Docket ID  EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0274 .
PA Department of Agriculture Guidance on Testing for Ag Workforce

As a direct result of agriculture and the entire food supply chain being life sustaining, combined with hot spots of COVID-19 in processing facilities, any symptomatic adult working in agriculture – including but not limited to those working in processing and manufacturing facilities, food warehouses, groceries stores, and on-farm labor (seasonal farm labor and H2A workers included) – is approved to receive priority testing if they live and/or work in Montgomery County or northeast Pennsylvania.

View a downloadable version of the guidance.
Resources for Paycheck Protection Program

Many of us have applied for the Paycheck Protection Program. The link from Penn State Extension Service provided updated guidelines.

https://extension.psu.edu/paycheck-protection-program-updated-guidelines
REMINDER from NPMA

To update your company's service area, please follow the steps below:
  1. Log on to the Manage My Group area of the NPMA website. Please note: in order to access the "Manage My Group" area of the NPMA website, you must be a company administrator. 
  2. Click on "Company Information" from the drop down menu.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Service Area section.
  4. Download the excel template found on this page.
  5. Update this template to include all of the zip codes that you service.
  6. Save the file on your computer.
  7. In the Service Area section click Choose File. Locate the excel template file that you just saved. Click open.
  8. Click Upload file.

Once you've completed these steps your service on Find-a-Pro is instantly updated to include these new zip codes. 
If you are having problems accessing please contact NPMA at (703) 352-6762 or  npma@pestworld.org .