Utah CAPS Program

What is CAPS?

The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) Program is a combined effort between state and federal agricultural agencies to conduct surveillance, detection, and monitoring of exotic plant pests of agricultural and natural plant resources and biological control agents. Survey targets may include plant diseases, insects, weeds, nematodes, and other invertebrate species. CAPS is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which operates the Plant Protection and Quarantine Program (PPQ). 

Pest Tracker is the public face of invasive pest detection surveys that take place nationwide. The Utah CAPS Program is administered by Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) which partners with the Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab at Utah State University (USU). Kristopher Watson (UDAF) coordinates the Utah CAPS program and works closely with Dawn Holzer (USDA APHIS PPQ).

For more information about the national CAPS program, please visit the CAPS Resource and Collaboration website.

Utah CAPS Committee Leaders