Yes, the university requires training about and inspections for the Spotted Lanternfly, an alien and invasive species that has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops in Pennsylvania including grapes, hops, and hardwoods and reduce the quality of life for people living in heavily infested areas..
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the PA Department of Agriculture (PDA) have joined forces to control and contain the spread of SLF. To help slow the spread of the SLF, on May 26, 2018 the PDA implemented an Order of Quarantine for the Spotted Lanternfly (Quarantine). Less than a year later, Penn State implemented requirements and guidelines. All employees who drive a university vehicle are required to successfully complete training about mitigating the spread of this pest.
Employees that will be driving into, out of, or within the Quarantine Zone on university business must:
- Take the required Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine training on Penn State’s Learning Resource Network (https://lrn.psu.edu/)
- Take precautions to ensure that they are not carrying the Spotted Lanternfly within clothing or personal belongings;
- Inspect the vehicle and any other items that may be transported as required for the presence of the Spotted Lanternfly to the best of their ability;
- Document the inspection on the required form when applicable and provide this to the Spotted Lanternfly Designated Employee for department-controlled vehicles, long-term (permanently assigned) vehicles from Fleet Operation, or personal vehicles used for University business; and
- When using short-term (daily) rentals from Fleet Operations, document the inspection when applicable on the required form and provide this to Fleet Operations upon return of the vehicle.
See https://ehs.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly/requirements-guidelines for more details.
