Department of Pesticide Regulation

2001/02 PRIORITIZATION PLAN AND NEGOTIATED WORK PLAN

1. The Prioritization Plan facilitates program improvements by providing the County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) with information on statewide Department Pesticide Regulation (DPR) priority issues. Since this is a guidance document intended to provide insight into those areas that DPR considers a priority, CACs will continue to have significant flexibility in developing Negotiated Work Plans (NWPs) that address their local needs as well as statewide priorities, where appropriate.
   
   DPR developed the Prioritization Plan after reviewing information from the following sources: the Compliance Assessment Program; the Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program report (available at www.cdpr.ca.gov); the Compliance/Enforcement Action Database; and the Pesticide Regulatory Activities Annual Reports submitted by the CACs.
   
   Please evaluate your county program to identify and address the priorities listed in the Prioritization Plan.
   
   
2. Negotiated Work Plan:
   • Schedule: Please provide a draft NWP to your Senior Pesticide Use Specialist Liaison by September 30, 2001. We have prioritized this program element with our staff, and we hope to complete the negotiation process by November 1, 2001. Please involve your Liaison in the development of your NWP. This may help reduce confusion and make the process run more smoothly.
   • Pesticide Regulatory Activities Monthly Report: The NWP consists of pesticide Use Enforcement activities that are included in the Pesticide Regulatory Activities Monthly Report (ENF 2000-23). The NWP does not require you to conduct Pesticide Use Enforcement activities that are ineligible for mill assessment fund disbursement nor does it change the way you account for your activities and hours on the Monthly Report.
     If you develop a creative approach that is not currently included in the monthly Report and you feel it should be a "paid" activity in the future, you need to suggest it to County Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA) or your Regional Association. The CACs and DPR are required by law to jointly develop the criteria to be used to allocate mill assessment funds.
   • Numeric targets: Numeric targets are optional in the issues-based NWP. You may establish numeric targets for the work activities identified in your NWP if you wish. Numeric targets may make assessing your progress easier.
   • Effectiveness Evaluation: Since numeric targets are optional in your NWP, they will not be included in the year-end effectiveness evaluation. Instead, your DPR Liaison will make periodic visits to discuss your progress, difficulties encountered in activity tracking, obstacles you have experienced, and any changes to be made to your NWP. DPR intends to work with CACASA to resolve inconsistency between the NWP process and the current effectiveness evaluation.
   • Focused Activities: For FY 2001/02, we will continue to accept most plans so long as they are developed prior to beginning the work; address priority issues identified in your NWP; and are not currently funded through DPR contracts or other funding sources.
     
     Please attach a copy of your proposed Focused Activity plans to your NWP.
     
     The Enforcement Branch will not be able to accept Focused Activity plans that require DPR funding outside of the mill assessment disbursement.

If you have any questions, please contact your Senior Pesticide Use Specialist Liaison.

cc:  Mr. Daniel J. Merkley, Agricultural Commissioner Liaison (w/Enclosure)
      Mr. Roy Rutz (w/Enclosure)
      Mr. Jim Walsh (w/Enclosures)