An environmental assessment (EA) for the release of two fungus species under development for grasshopper control in western US rangelands is available for comment. These fungi are tropical in origin and exotic to US grasslands. The EA is available at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/grasshopper/index.sht ml. Comments on the EA are due January 28, 2011 and can be emailed to: [email protected]; or sent by mail to: Charles Brown , National Grasshopper Program Manager, USDA/APHIS/PPQ, 4700 River Road Unit 26, Riverdale, MD 20737
As stated in the Purpose and Need for Action of the EA: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Pest Permit Branch (PPB) is proposing to issue permits for release of two commercial formulations of the fungus Metarhizium acridum (M. acridum) (Green Muscle and Green Guard). The fungus would be used by the applicant for an experiment to determine the efficacy of M. acridum against grasshopper species in the continental United States. Before permits are issued for release of M. acridum, PPQ needs to analyze the potential impacts of the release of this agent into a site in either Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Arizona. Because M. acridum is being introduced as a non-recycling mycoinsecticide and not as a persistent, classical biological control organism, only these specific sites will be analyzed. An analysis of impacts to the continental United States typical for first time releases of classical biological control organisms is unnecessary because of the short-lived nature of this organism in the environment where it will be released. Organisms for classical biological control are considered capable of establishing and reproducing in the environment."
