USDA Announces the Release for the Implementation Plan for FY 2026 Plant Protection Act Section 7721 and National Clean Plant Network Program Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announces the release of the Implementation Plan for fiscal year (FY) 2026 Plant Protection Act Section 7721 (PPA7721) funding. The open period for submitting suggestions for the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (PPDMDPP) and National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) program will be announced later this spring. APHIS will provide $75 million in plant protection funding for these projects, including at least $7.5 million for projects under the NCPN.

Under the PPA 7721’s PPDMDPP, APHIS annually makes funds available to cooperators—from state and federal agencies, Tribal nations, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, and industry—to support projects that protect specialty crops, nursery systems, forestry, other agricultural production systems, and natural resources from harmful and invasive plant pests and pathogens. The implementation plan outlines six strategic goal areas for funding PPDMDPP projects:

1. Enhancing plant pest/disease analysis and survey;
2. Targeting domestic inspection activities at vulnerable points in the safeguarding continuum;
3. Enhancing and strengthening pest identification and technology;
4. Safeguarding nursery production;
5. Conducting targeted outreach and education; and
6. Enhancing mitigation and rapid response capabilities.

Those interested in submitting projects should visit www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp to get resources and guidance, including the FY 2026 Implementation Plan, templates, the ServiceNow guidance document, help session webinar schedule, frequently asked questions, and more. 

The FY 2026 Implementation Plan also describes priorities for projects supporting PPA 7721’s NCPN. The NCPN is a network of clean plant centers for diagnostic and pathogen elimination services that produce clean propagative plant material and maintain blocks of pathogen-tested plant material in sites throughout the United States. NCPN program priorities include:

• Promoting the introduction, diagnosis, treatment, establishment, and release of clean plant materials for commercial development;
• Optimizing the implementation of new methods and best practices while increasing awareness of the importance, availability, and use of clean plants; and
• Developing partnerships with university extension offices, State departments of agriculture, and other entities to interact with commercial nurseries, industry associations, and producers. 

Funding is available for land-grant universities, non-land-grant colleges of agriculture, State agricultural experiment stations, State and Federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Proposals focused on specialty crops receive funding priority. Visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ncpn to learn more about the NCPN program.

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