Eastern Navajo Agency Schools

Extension of a Successful IPM Model to Pilot Schools on the Navajo Indian Reservation Final Report, November - 2002 Dr. Marc Lame, Team Leader

In the spring of 2001 it was proposed that the MCCSC model be extended to tribal school communities on the Navajo Reservation (New Mexico and Arizona). The network to begin these pilot programs was developed through the Tribal Programs section of USEPA, OPP. Adopters Three of the 18 schools managed by the Eastern Navajo Agency (ENA), Office of Indian Educational Programs (OIEP) had been selected for this program initiation - Crown Point Community School, Lake Valley School, and Mariano Lake School. Chad Bourgoin is our "on-site IPM coordinator". Chad has a background in environmental management, is highly intelligent and motivated. Bob Villarreal is the facility manager with lots of experience and likes what we are bringing him. Debbie McBride is an environmental scientist with the BIA out of DC, and ultimately will assume responsibility for the diffusion of IPM in BIA/Tribal schools throughout the country. Herb Holgate, Jeff Biakeddy, and Calvert Curely are with the Navajo EPA Pesticide Unit in Window Rock. The Navajo EPA folks are partners, but currently mostly observers until Region 9 agrees to the inclusion of school IPM into their work plan. The Tribal/EPA/BIA relationship is problematic. Results Prior to the implementation of this program, pilot school arthropod pests are being treated with at least a bi-monthly, scheduled application of a pyrethroid - WP (Tempo@). Application is approximately one gallon of solution (B&G) per facility building on the baseboards, and directly on ant mounds. Mattresses, walls and baseboards are treated for the specific bedbug infestations. Further, no monitoring traps for any pests are being used. And finally, there was no attempt to educated facility managers regarding pest prevention by the PCOs. Pesticide use (other than rodent baits) has been prohibited in all the pilot schools since November. However, due to miscommunication, Mariano Lake was treaded for lice and bedbugs. Further, a bedbug application of Tempo was indicated in early 2002. It is estimated that there has been a 95% reduction of pesticide applications in the pilots schools - without additional pest occurrence. 1) Five One-on-one trainings were conducted by Corrigan, Lame, Jochim, Lindsey and Smith for the PCO (Begay) , kitchen and custodial supervisors for the pilots schools. Further, these sessions were attended by Herb Holgate from Navajo EPA. The last training session (Nov. 2002) was for the two BIA, OIEP PCOs. 2) Two education and training programs were conducted (February 23-27 and Mid-August - 2002) for pilot school administrators, teachers, custodial, and food service staff (content: principles of IPM particular to sanitation and exclusion, pests of the pilot schools, venue 1: 2 hour "classroom and walk through" with staff, venue 2: 20 minute classroom sessions for faculty staff orientation this school year) 3) The ENA Environmental Specialist (Chad Bourgoin) attended the staff training and mid-term evaluation in Las Vegas so that he could get a feel for how we conduct these types of programs. This was beneficial, both in terms of program initiation, but also it allowed him to see how screwed up CCSD was compared to his own school facilities. 4) State CE Change Agents (Smith and Gouge) and AZ SLA (Martin) demonstrated complete adoption of the Monroe Model in follow-up training sessions and added to the model with a workshop for SW Indian Tribes (ITC) in Phoenix. Further, they participated in workshops to develop or refine strategies for national implementation (DC and Bloomington, IN). Drs. Gouge and Smith have been successful in obtaining funding to implement IPM in several Indian Communities in Arizona (Navajo Housing Authority, Gila River and Hopi). 5) A masters student intern (Amy Clayton, IU, SPEA) spent 3 weeks working with and writing newsletters for the pilots schools. Agency-wide expansion has been implemented. Further, because the ENA has "internalized" pest management it is anticipated that all 68 BIA schools (over 14000 children) on the Navajo, Southern Pueblo and Hopi Reservations will be able to implement IPM within a two year period.