Tony Rosati
03-23-2006, 11:46 PM
[u]The following is the text of the notification letter received relating to the funding change.</u>
State of West Virginia
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Gus R. Douglass, Commissioner
Janet L. Fisher, Deputy Commissioner
Steve Hannah, Deputy Commissioner
State Capitol
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0170
(304) 558-3550
Dear Landowner,
The USDA-Forest Service plans in 2007 to refocus their gypsy moth suppression efforts. According to the President?s Budget and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection brief, gypsy moth suppression efforts in 2007 will be eliminated to focus on what they call ?higher priority pests? such as emerald ash borer, Sirex noctillo, and other invasive species. At this time West Virginia has neither emerald ash borer nor Sirex noctillo.
What does this mean to you and me as landowners? This means that even if the West Virginia Department of Agriculture can continue to offer their Gypsy Moth Cooperative Suppression Program that our price will double to have our property treated since we will not get the 50% cost share like we received this year.
Some important points to remember is that West Virginia?s forest are made up of 94 % hardwood species and that the gypsy moth prefers hardwood species to feed on. Research indicates that gypsy moth larvae can feed on at least 500 species of plants that include trees, shrubs, and vines. On the other hand, an example of one of the species that the USDA Forest Service plans on refocusing the gypsy moth funds to, the emerald ash borer, will only feed on ash trees. West Virginia has less than a 3 percent ash component in its forests.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture conducted a timber mortality assessment in 2005 on timber that was defoliated from the last major gypsy moth outbreak (2000-2002) and found that after 2 years of gypsy moth defoliation, 69 % of the timber was killed at the high end and that on the average, 19.49% of the timber died.
If you do not want the USDA-Forest Service to eliminate the landowner cost sharing funds to the landowners of West Virginia for the Gypsy Moth Program please contact one or all of your Senators and Congressman and let them know.
Sincerely,
?Butch?
Quentin ?Butch? Sayers
GM Program Manager
West Virginia Department of Agriculture
State of West Virginia
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Gus R. Douglass, Commissioner
Janet L. Fisher, Deputy Commissioner
Steve Hannah, Deputy Commissioner
State Capitol
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0170
(304) 558-3550
Dear Landowner,
The USDA-Forest Service plans in 2007 to refocus their gypsy moth suppression efforts. According to the President?s Budget and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection brief, gypsy moth suppression efforts in 2007 will be eliminated to focus on what they call ?higher priority pests? such as emerald ash borer, Sirex noctillo, and other invasive species. At this time West Virginia has neither emerald ash borer nor Sirex noctillo.
What does this mean to you and me as landowners? This means that even if the West Virginia Department of Agriculture can continue to offer their Gypsy Moth Cooperative Suppression Program that our price will double to have our property treated since we will not get the 50% cost share like we received this year.
Some important points to remember is that West Virginia?s forest are made up of 94 % hardwood species and that the gypsy moth prefers hardwood species to feed on. Research indicates that gypsy moth larvae can feed on at least 500 species of plants that include trees, shrubs, and vines. On the other hand, an example of one of the species that the USDA Forest Service plans on refocusing the gypsy moth funds to, the emerald ash borer, will only feed on ash trees. West Virginia has less than a 3 percent ash component in its forests.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture conducted a timber mortality assessment in 2005 on timber that was defoliated from the last major gypsy moth outbreak (2000-2002) and found that after 2 years of gypsy moth defoliation, 69 % of the timber was killed at the high end and that on the average, 19.49% of the timber died.
If you do not want the USDA-Forest Service to eliminate the landowner cost sharing funds to the landowners of West Virginia for the Gypsy Moth Program please contact one or all of your Senators and Congressman and let them know.
Sincerely,
?Butch?
Quentin ?Butch? Sayers
GM Program Manager
West Virginia Department of Agriculture