Eric Biddinger, a nursery and compliance officer with the DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology (DEPP), has received the 2022 Carl Carlson Distinguished Achievement Award in Regulatory Plant Protection.Biddinger
The award comes from the National Plant Board, a nonprofit organization of plant pest regulatory agencies.
Biddinger is the first inspector from Indiana to receive the honor, which is a national recognition of field level inspectors' service. The Horticulture Inspection Society (HIS) nominated Biddinger for the Carlson award after presenting him its Robert McAdams Award, which recognizes superior achievement of professional development in horticulture inspection. Biddinger serves as central regional secretary for HIS.
Biddinger has been with DNR since 2006 and serves Carroll, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, Miami, and St. Joseph counties, managing USDA compliance as well as the state quarantines of spongy moth, Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, kudzu, and other regulated and exotic pests. Biddinger also maintains division technologies and has developed nursery and phytosanitary databases, which have helped all DEPP inspectors maintain better records.
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