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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced it was issuing a grant to the Arkansas State Plant Board (“Board”) for $55,346.

The Region 6 Office of EPA states that the funds will be used to enhance management and software systems that support Arkansas’s pesticide programs.

The Board is a division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture describes the mission of what is also referenced as the Plant Industry Division as to:

Protect and serve the citizens of Arkansas and the agricultural and business communities by providing information and unbiased enforcements of laws and regulations set by the Arkansas State Plant Board, thus ensuring quality products and services.

Its responsibilities include enforcement of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

EPA is providing the referenced funding as a multipurpose grant under a cooperative agreement. It further notes that the Board will:

Use the funding to develop a new software-based case file management system for pesticide licensing and enforcement.

Such upgrade is projected to improve the Board’s activities for pesticide enforcement, applicator certification and training, and program implementation.

A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.