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The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) There is a need to develop and apply ecologically based pest management alternatives that are environmentally sound to prevent, control, and eradicate pests. (b) The continuation of pest control technology in agriculture which relies primarily on synthetic chemicals may be impractical, given the dwindling number of newly registered chemicals, increasing resistance of numerous pests to pesticides, public concern about pesticide residues, and potential threats posed to environmental quality and human health. (c) To be adequately prepared for existing and new infestations of agricultural pests, California needs to have a means of coordinating and evaluating long-term basic and applied pest research, including the impact of prevention, control, and eradication efforts upon public health and the environment. (d) The state should facilitate, promote, and support collaborative pest research programs and projects by its agencies, public and private universities, the federal government, and the agricultural industry that work toward developing environmentally sound, ecologically based pest management techniques. (e) In order to strengthen pest prevention, control, and eradication efforts, it is the intent of the Legislature that an administrative structure be created within the University of California which, in cooperation with California’s public and private universities, the state, the agricultural industry, and persons experienced with environmentally sound, ecologically based pest management alternatives, advances pest research and formulates innovative solutions that better safeguard the environment and public health. Toward these ends, the Legislature requests that the Regents of the University of California establish a pest research center which will review and prioritize pest-related research activities conducted through the university. It is the intent of the Legislature that University of California programs engaged in pest research shall, when applicable, follow the research priorities established by the center. The center is encouraged to develop research priorities in cooperation with other public and private universities and with state, federal, and county agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Food and Agriculture, State Department of Health Services, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, county agricultural commissioners, United States Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the agricultural industry, and with environmental and public and occupational health groups.