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Integrated Pest Management

A photo of a dark bround mound of thatcher ants in a wooded area on Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.

The USAEC IPM Program protects the Army’s Soldiers, Civilians and their Families from insects and other pests by using IPM. We help sustain infrastructure used for training, working and living by providing professional guidance to reduce or eliminate impact from all plant, insect, fungus and vertebrate pests.

Our program continues to ensure the least toxic products are used at IMCOM installation around the world. We ensure applicators are trained to understand and implement IPM practices to reduce pest populations that are environmentally sound. To facilitate planning and reporting of pesticide usage, we are planning on new automated systems and products that will increase the efficiency in reporting and reduce the workload at the installation.

What has the Army done?

  
The Army is committed to IPM at its facilities and installations as the best approach to control pests, reduce pesticide resistance, and meet mandates for federal agencies to reduce human health and environmental risks from pesticides. Sustainable strategies and techniques are continuously incorporated in all aspects of Army integrated pest management planning, training, and operations.

The Army’s goal is to protect human health, property, and natural resources from adverse impacts of weeds, insects, vertebrates and other pests. This goal focuses our efforts to sustain training lands, ranges, and facilities that support readiness with minimum impacts to the environment.


USAEC provides centralized pest management oversight and technical support for the U.S. Army Integrated Pest Management Program for Installation Management Command (IMCOM) installations and other special installations not currently under IMCOM’s control. What this means is USAEC ensures that before a pesticide is used, IPM is planned for and an applicator is certified, at any IMCOM installation anywhere in the world.

Why is this important?

 
Our area of operations is the world.

The magnitude of the Army’s challenge in complying with the requirements of the FIFRA is reflected in the sheer number of buildings/structures (800 million sq ft.), and acreage (15 million acres) that have been entrusted to its care. Integrated pest management requirements in support of the Army’s personnel, land and mission have increased due to increase threats from insect-borne diseases and extensive spread of invasive species on training lands.

We’re required to by Federal Law:

7 USC 136r-1 "...Federal agencies shall use Integrated Pest Management techniques in carrying out pest management activities...."

We’re committed to this as stewards of our environment:

It is DOD policy to incorporate sustainable IPM philosophy, strategies and techniques in all aspects of DOD IPM planning, training and operations to reduce pesticide risk and prevent pollution.