Governor’s Budget Veto Likely To Shutter UF/IFAS Invasive Pest Quarantine Lab
June 25, 2015 A UF/IFAS program focusing on the control of invasive plants and insects likely will close following a veto by Gov. Rick Scott.
Not only was the lab denied an approved increase by the state legislature of $180,000, it also lost all other funding ($720,000) amid the record $461.4 million worth of special projects that also fell victim to the veto.
The quarantine research lab opened in 2004 at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce with $3.9 million in state funding.
With the latest developments, the program will likely close, and 12 positions will be eliminated, said Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agricultural and natural resources.
The quarantine facility is a highly secure lab where scientists conduct research on biological controls for invasive species. Scientists introduce, evaluate, and release biological control agents to try to manage exotic weeds and insect pests in Florida.
The center was working on releasing the first biological control agent against the Brazilian peppertree. The tree has moved around the world as an ornamental plant, and in Florida, it has infested nearly 700,000 acres in the Central and southern regions.
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