**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ADAPTING TO CHANGING CLIMATE IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE FOR LIFE ON EARTH. AS SPECIES ALTER THEIR DISTRIBUTIONS IN SEARCH OF HOSPITABLE HABITAT, SOME WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FAVORABLE, PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE, NICHE SPACE, BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR UNCHECKED POPULATION OUTBREAKS. BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SPECIES ARE CONSIDERED PESTS, WE NEED THE ABILITY TO PREDICT WHETHER A PEST THAT SHIFTS INTO A NEW REGION WILL BECOME A PEST IN THAT NEW AREA. BY INVESTIGATING THE GENOMES OF PESTS, WE CAN IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE GENOMIC REGIONS THAT CONTROL INVASIVENESS AND OUTBREAK POTENTIAL, AND IDENTIFY VARIABLES THAT COULD ENABLE BETTER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS BEFORE SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OCCUR. THE PANDORA PINE MOTH (PPM), COLORADIA PANDORA, REPRESENTS AN EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATE SPECIES FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING THIS OUTBREAK POTENTIAL. THE PPM HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED FOR ITS EXPLOSIVE OUTBREAKS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, WHERE IT IS WIDESPREAD AND FEEDS ON SEVERAL ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT PINE SPECIES (PINUS SPP.), DAMAGING LARGE TRACTS OF FOREST IN THE PROCESS. CLIMATE CHANGE WILL LIKELY FURTHER EXACERBATE THIS LOSS AND THERE IS A REAL CONCERN THAT OUTBREAKING PPM POPULATIONS ARE SHIFTING THEIR DISTRIBUTIONS NORTHWARD. THIS RESEARCH WILL ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE K-12 STUDENTS IN THE NEZ PERCE, COEUR D'ALENE, AND SHOSONE BANNOCK TRIBES OF IDAHO.