A Systems Approach to Nursery Certification An Update for Regional Plant Boards April 2013

… an ongoing effort to incorporate a systems approach process into nursery certification, to reduce pest risk and pest movement while facilitating and expediting the movement of nursery stock.

Nursery Certification Challenges Increased volume of trade Diminished resources Varying state laws and regulations More quarantine and regulated pests

What Could We Gain from a Systems Approach? Focus resources to manage risk most effectively Increase compatibility among state programs Reduce pest risk More direct interaction between nursery production staff and regulators (Partners in quality). A smoother transition between interstate and international certification programs

What is a Systems Approach?

A Systems Approach Strategy: Incorporates specific operational nursery practices to minimize the likelihood of incursion, establishment and spread of plant pests and pathogens in a nursery Requires 2 or more control measures that are independent of each other Improves our understanding of a plant product beyond just that single end-product inspection snapshot.

This Framework for SANC is based on a HACCP-type approach, reduced to a Critical Control Point System (CCPS)

How would it work? -- Risk analysis for the nursery/greenhouse Critical control points identified by/for the nursery/greenhouse Development and implementation of appropriate best management practices by the establishment Verification that best management practices are being followed, and that plant material remains apparently free of pests.

What could the process lead to? Risk analysis for the nursery SANC CCP/BMP Checklist Critical control points identified by/for the nursery BMP Checklist companion Development and implementation of appropriate best management practices Written SANC Production Document, Pest Management Plan Verification that best management practices are being followed, and that plant material remains apparently free of pests. SANC Agreement – SANC Certification

What has the SANC initiative done so far?

Created Draft revisions of the Plant Pest and Nursery Model Bills Last versions are now 12 years old…. New versions will help harmonize programs across states, & suggest ways to incorporate systems approaches into nursery certification.

Produced a Framework Document Describes what a Systems Approach is and how we think the concept can be applied to nurseries and to nursery certification

Developed a compliance agreement template to facilitate orderly shipment of boxwood… Immediately addressed the threat of boxwood blight:

Compliance sub-committee will continue to develop templates for other pests regulated by states Brown Garden Snail; Image: OR State Univ Knock, Knock !!!

Began development of outreach mechanisms such as the SANC website, Snapshots for SPROs, and SANC Fact Sheet

Began development of uniform training tools and mechanisms: Collaboration with HIS chapters to facilitate multi- state inspections to test the principles of SANC

Development of uniform training tools and mechanisms, cont’d: Collaboration with HIS Central Chapter to distribute Inspection Manuals to all chapter membership Co-Incide also distributed Working with USDA’s PDC to promote audit training. New SANC training modules for States and for Nurseries are planned

Development of Best Management Practices Document for Nursery Industry is Well Underway Tool developed by a group at USDA- APHIS-PPQ CPHST Provided to an Industry team, who has returned document to SANC Core Group Will be available through SANC as a foundation for our work.

Pilot Committee formed, to turn ideas into action -- Where will SANC work? How will it work? What do we need to make it work?

Is SANC a new national (federal) or state nursery certification program? No and no. SANC, as opposed to a traditional (shipping point inspection only) certification process, is simply an alternative method of certifying plant material based on the nursery/greenhouse operator continually addressing the appropriate pest and disease related critical control points - and is similar to many existing compliance agreement- based programs which can operate within existing state nursery certification programs.

Will there be a standalone national SANC compliance agreement? No, but there will be a model SANC agreement for states to use in development of their voluntary alternative nursery or greenhouse certification program. This agreement will be the basic framework that would allow nursery or greenhouse stock to move intrastate/interstate to states that don ’ t have additional requirements.

Is SANC going to be mandatory? No. This is a voluntary program that will be administered by participating states for nurseries that want to be in the program and adhere to its guidelines. … and SANC?

What is SAP-P? The Systems Approach Program Partnership (SAP-P) is composed of industry (American Nursery & Landscape Association [ANLA] and the Society of American Florists [SAF], USDA APHIS PPQ, and National Plant Board [NPB] representatives. This group is collaborating toward a common goal of developing a systems approach for certification of greenhouse and nursery stock. This will include certification for both interstate/ intrastate and international shipping.

What Can You Expect Next from SANC?

Next Steps: Pilot Project Development Model Bills – Should be ready by the Annual Meeting Compliance Agreements – Working on Templates Training – HIS and PDC Outreach – Website and other promotion materials Finalization of CCPs/BMPs – a little negotiation with Industry Inspection Checklist BMP Checklist Companion

Core Group Gray Haun TN, Carl Schulze NJ, Aurelio Posadas NPB, Mike Cooper ID, Geir Friisoe MN, Wayne Dixon FL, Ken Rauscher MI

Core Group Gray Haun TN, Carl Schulze NJ, Aurelio Posadas NPB,Mike Cooper ID, Geir Friisoe MN, Wayne Dixon FL, Ken Rauscher, MI Training Subcommittee Collin Wamsley MO, Gary McAninch OR, Ann Gibbs ME, John Rochelle TN, Joe Collins KY, Kara Spofford APHIS Education and Outreach Subcommittee Ruth Welliver PA,Carol Holko MD, Karen Rane MD, Tad Hardy LA, Joshua Kress CA Compliance Agreements Subcommittee Dan Kenny OH, Mike Colvin CA, Sarah Scally ME, Dana Rhodes PA, Tyson Emery FL, Tom Wessels WA, David Gordon CO Model Law Subcommittee Gene Cross NC, Gray Haun TN, Dan Hilburn OR, Jeff Zimmer MI, Vicki Smith CT, David Blackburn AR, Mark Taylor MD, Wayne Dixon FL Pilot Subcommittee Larry Nichols VA, Donna Rise MT, Robin Rosenbaum MI, Galen Ettinger NJ, Susan Ehlenbeck MO, Carl Schulze NJ USDA Liaison – Scott Pfister