| |
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will begin aerial treatments to control gypsy moth populations around the first week of May, depending on egg mass development, larval development and weather conditions.
The 2009 Cooperative State-County-Landowner (SCCL) Program will treat 39,099 acres in Berkeley, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Monroe, Morgan, Pocahontas and Preston Counties. The proposed treatments will consist of a single application of Dimilin 4L on 16,659 acres, Bacillus thuringiensis var karstaki (Btk) on 21,498 acres and Gypcheck on 942 acres. The program will spray infested forest areas from helicopters and will likely operate out of remote landing zones.
“Residents of these counties should not be alarmed by low-flying aircraft,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “These chemicals have been used extensively for decades and pose no danger to humans or the environment. Plus this project has gone through rigorous environmental assessments, biological evaluations and safety planning.”
The contact numbers for the operation will be: 304-813-9625, 304-552-6169, the New Creek Field Office at 304-788-1066, the Elkins Field Office at 304-637-0290, or the Charleston Office at 304-558-2212.
The Cooperative State-County-Landowner Program is a joint effort among the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (USDA-FS), West Virginia Division of Forestry and landowners throughout the Mountain State.
For more information on the WVDA gypsy moth treatment program, call WVDA Plant Industries Division Director Gary Gibson or Assistant Director Clark Haynes at 304-558-2212 or Gypsy Moth Program Manager Butch Sayers at 304-788-1066.
The gypsy moth is the most destructive of West Virginia’s forest pests, each year defoliating tens of thousands of acres of West Virginia’s valuable hardwoods. The damage makes trees more susceptible to other pests and diseases, and can kill trees outright.
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.
|
