What is the National Plant Board?

In 1919, eleven states, the Territory of Hawaii, the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the Mexico District of Lower California met and organized the Western Plant Board for the purpose of discussing and developing uniformity in conducting plant protection work. The National Plant Board was created in 1925, along with the organization of three other regional plant boards.

Members of the National Plant Board

Membership of the National Plant Board is made up of the principal plant pest regulatory officials of each member commonwealth and state. This person is usually the administrator of the section of his or her state’s Department of Agriculture which deals with pest prevention. Such units usually carry titles such as Plant Industry, Plant Health, Entomologist, State Plant Pathologist, etc. In some states the function is in an agency other than the department of agriculture.

With whom does the National Plant Board work?

National Plant Board members work cooperatively with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), Forest Service (USFS), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and Agriculture Research Service (ARS) to prevent the entry of new pests and diseases into the country. They inspect plants and commodities for export so that required phytosanitary certification can be provided. They also provide consultation from the state perspective by serving on technical and advisory committees established by co-operators. Members all are actively involved in working with groups, industries and the general public as needed, to prevent the development of plant pest problems and to solve those problems which do occur.