The primary responsibilities of the Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services (PHPPS) Division and the Pest Detection Emergency Project Branch (PDEP) are the early detection and prompt eradication of harmful plant pests from California. This is accomplished through the operation of a statewide detection trapping program, special detection surveys, and prompt eradication response. The primary objective of the emergency project component is to eradicate incipient infestations of serious plant pests quickly and efficiently, thereby preventing establishment and subsequent spread in California. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has developed contingency plans to apply pesticides by ground to specific plant hosts in various areas of the state to control and eradicate invasive plant pests, including but not limited to invasive fruit flies (IFF) and other plant pests. The plan calls for the standby availability of application backpack spray application equipment, specialized equipment for accessing hosts, pesticides, and personnel to provide foliar applications of various pesticides within Alameda County and surrounding areas.
