The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) pest detection program supports the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) as it works to safeguard U.S. agricultural and environmental resources by ensuring that new introductions of harmful plant pests and diseases are detected as soon as possible. Early detection often reduces the chances these pests have to cause significant damage.
A strong domestic agricultural pest detection system is an essential element in providing a continuum of checks from offshore pre-clearance programs, domestic port inspections, and surveys in rural and urban sites across the U.S. The program uses a multi-pronged strategy to accomplish its mission, involving:
- A structured, transparent assessment process to identify pest threats
- Development of scientifically sound pest diagnostics and survey protocols
- Provision of survey materials (traps, lures, etc.)
- Oversight and implementation of the actual pest surveys
- Timely reporting of pest survey results through an approved database
- Assurance that data collected is valid and of high quality
- Notification of significant pest detections through established protocols
These efforts are accomplished by involving stakeholders and the scientific community, and by leveraging efforts by other USDA agencies, government entities, state departments of agriculture, universities and industry partners. APHIS and its state cooperators carry out surveys for high-risk pests through a network of cooperators in the CAPS program.
The CAPS program conducts science-based national and state surveys targeted at specific exotic plant pests, diseases and weeds identified as threats to U.S. agriculture and/or the environment. These activities are accomplished primarily under USDA funding that is provided through cooperative agreements with state departments of agriculture, universities and other entities. Surveys conducted through the CAPS program represent a second line of defense against the entry of harmful plant pests and weeds.
These efforts support inspections of commodities, conveyances and passenger baggage conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) division at seaports, airports and land border crossings. The program is continuing to develop surveys.
These surveys enable the program to target high-risk hosts and commodities, gather data about pests specific to a commodity, and establish better baseline data about pests that were recently introduced in the United States. The mission of the CAPS program is to provide a survey profile of exotic plant pests in the U.S. deemed to be of regulatory significance through early detection and surveillance activities.