The National Priority Pest List represents the nationwide pest priorities for the CAPS program and Plant Protection Act 7721 (PPA 7721) Goal 1 early detection surveys. Plant Protection and Quarantine evaluates the list each year to make sure it reflects national priorities.
Pests are removed if:
- they have been federally deregulated or
- have become established in multiple states.
Pests are added if:
- they are predicted to have a high impact in the United States and
- effective methods and resources are available to support detection surveys.
The National CAPS Committee reviews the changes to the list before they are finalized. The new Priority Pest List is delivered as part of the National Pest Surveillance Guidelines each spring. See Development of the Priority Pest List to learn more about the process and how pests are evaluated.