A Systems Approach to Nursery Certification “Growing Better With SANC”

1. A Systems Approach to Nursery Certification “Growing Better With SANC” THE SITUATION GOAL OF SANC The goal of the SANC initiative is to develop, promote and implement a risk based nursery certification system utilizing existing state authorities and programs, to enhance uniformity, increase efficiency and reduce pest distribution threats from interstate movement of nursery stock. Nursery certification poses increasing challenges as volumes increase, regulations become more stringent, and regulatory resources are diminishing. The National Plant Board is developing a voluntary risk-based approach to certification to enhance current shipping-point based programs. BENEFITS OF A SYSTEMS APPROACH • Regulatory agency resources will be focused to more effectively manage risk of pest introductions and movement, resulting in cost efficiencies as well as reduction in pest risk. • Working together, regulators and nursery staff will identify critical control points and best management practices, resulting in more direct interaction between these groups. • A tiered certification system will allow producers • and regulators the flexibility to address the needs • of individual businesses and state regulations in • support of the nursery trade. EXAMPLE: BOXWOOD BLIGHT Boxwood blight detections in late 2011 created a significant challenge for the production and interstate movement of host material. Regulatory officials received numerous requests from interstate shippers to certify host material as free from boxwood blight in order to meet demands from buyers in other states. A compliance agreement template developed by the SANC team and a set of BMPs developed by industry will help meet state verification needs and the needs of individual nursery operations. CONSISTENCY • Model compliance agreements and other system approach components for regulated pests that include CCPs and BMPs, control scheduling, shipping windows, certification requirements, etc., can be utilized by both industry and state regulators and developing strategies to encourage use of these templates and models for • management of quarantine pests.  • The SANC team is updating and revising the existing • model nursery and plant pest laws. TRAINING • Critical Control Points (CCPs) for pest/pathogen introduction • Best Management Practices (BMPs) specific to CCPs • Working with partners to create training experiences that will help states understand and use systems approach concepts in their nursery certification programs. SANC TEAM Core Group Gray Haun TN, Carl Schulze NJ, Aurelio Posadas NPB ,Mike Cooper ID, GeirFriisoe, Wayne Dixon FL, MN, Ken Rauscher, PA Training Subcommittee Collin Wamsley MO, Gary McAninch OR , Ann Gibbs ME , John Rochelle TN, Terry Walker AR, Tara Spofford APHIS Education and Outreach Subcommittee Ruth Welliver PA ,Carol Holko MD, Karen Rane MD, Tad Hardy LA, Susan Ehlenbeck MO Compliance Agreements Subcommittee Dan Kenny OH, Mike Colvin CA , Sarah Scally ME, Dana Rhodes PA, Tyson Emery FL, Tom WesselsWA, David Gordon CO Model Law Subcommittee Gene Cross NC, Gray HaunTN, Dan Hilburn OR, Jeff Zimmer MI, Vicki Smith CT, David Blackburn AR, Mark Taylor MD, Wayne Dixon FL USDA Liaison – Scott Pfister HIS Training 2012 National Plant Board Annual Meeting July 2012, Mystic Connecticut