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WVDA COMPLETES ANNUAL GYPSY MOTH TREATMENT; APPLICATION PERIOD FOR NEXT YEAR BEGINS JULY 1
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Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass
has announced that approximately 65,000 acres
of forest and forested residential land has been
treated through the Cooperative State-County-
Landowner (CSCL) Program to control the
population of gypsy moths, a destructive insect
that threatens the health of West Virginia’s trees.
“The gypsy moth is the most serious plant pest in
West Virginia. It eats a wide variety of trees and
shrubs, and West Virginia’s vast forest resources
offer an ideal habitat for this invasive pest to feed
upon,” said Commissioner Douglass. “This
treatment program helps to safeguard our timber
and tourism industries, which are vital components of our state’s economy.”
The gypsy moth feeds on over 500 species, including West Virginia hardwoods. Defoliation by gypsy moth caterpillars can kill trees, or weaken them substantially, making them more susceptible to other pests and diseases.
Originally introduced into Massachusetts in 1869, the gypsy moth has slowly spread north to Maine and south to North Carolina. Despite control efforts, the infestation continues to move south and west.
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Moths were first documented in West Virginia in
1972, and the first caterpillars were found in 1978.
Each year, gypsy moths affect tens of thousands
of acres of West Virginia forest and cause millions
of dollars in lost forest productivity.
The CSCL Program is a cooperative effort between
the WVDA, USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS), West
Virginia University Cooperative Extension Service
(WVU-CES), county commissions and private
landowners. The entire program is a year-long
process that culminates in the treatment project
in May.
For the 2008 program, there was a 20 percent cost-
share by USDA-FS, with the landowner paying 80 percent. The percentages vary each year based on available federal funding.
Although federal funding for the program is in jeopardy, interested individuals are encouraged to apply for next year’s program in the hopes that funding will be intact. The application period for next year’s CSCL Program will begin in June and end August 31. Forms are available at www.wvagriculture.org/Division_Webpages/plant_industries.html and at local WVU Extension offices.
For more information, or to request forms, contact WVDA Plant Industries Division Assistant Director Clark Haynes at 304-558-2212 (chaynes@ag.state.wv.us), or Gypsy Moth Program Coordinator Quentin “Butch” Sayers at 304-788-1066.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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