(NAFB.com) – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation was awarded a $3 million cooperative agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Pesticide Inspector Residential Training Program. The funding will significantly expand the nationwide educational training provided to pesticide inspectors and enforcement staff over the next five years. The training program is designed to provide comprehensive educational training to pesticide inspectors and enforcement staff from state-led agencies, territories, and tribes that operate under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act cooperative agreements. With this cooperative agreement, the NASDA Foundation will double the number of training courses offered annually, including new bi-annual PIRT training. “The expansion of PIRT reflects the NASDA Foundation’s long-standing commitment to promoting sensible environmental management practices,” says NASDA Foundation Senior Director Chris Jones. “The PIRT Program plays a crucial role in ensuring that our state inspectors are well prepared to meet regulatory standards.