The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is proposing to treat approximately 51,400 acres of forest to protect against gypsy moth damage in 2009. The projects will be conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (USDA-FS), and will include both the Cooperative State-County-Landowner (CSCL) Suppression Program and the Slow the Spread (STS) Program.

“The gypsy moth infestation in West Virginia is expected to reach high enough levels in 2009 to cause defoliation and tree mortality,” said Commissioner Douglass. “In 2008, aerial surveys detected 81,000 acres of defoliation. These trees are already stressed and may not be able to withstand another year of heavy defoliation.”

The gypsy moth is the most serious forest pest in West Virginia, defoliating tens of thousands of acres each year. It feeds on more than 500 species of trees and shrubs, including West Virginia’s valuable hardwoods.
Originally introduced into Massachusetts in 1869, the gypsy moth has slowly spread north to Maine and south to North Carolina. Moths were first documented in West Virginia in 1972, and the first caterpillars were found in 1978. Despite control efforts, the infestation continues to move south and west.

Much of the gypsy moth migration has occurred naturally, but man has sped the spread of this pest, unwittingly transporting gypsy moth egg masses or caterpillars on loads of firewood, RVs, campers, and other vehicles.

WVDA officials caution against the transport of firewood into or out of the state because pests such as the gypsy moth, hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and other non-native invasive insects may be in or on the wood. The WVDA also urges owners of RVs and campers to thoroughly inspect and wash their vehicles before moving them.

Counties proposed for treatment include Berkeley, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, McDowell, Mineral, Monroe, Morgan, Pocahontas and Preston counties. Detailed maps of the proposed treatment areas are available for review at the New Creek or Charleston offices of the WVDA Plant Industries Division. Treatments will begin between late April and the end of May, depending on weather conditions and the stage of development of the gypsy moth.

In late June the WVDA in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service under the Slow the Spread Program is proposing to treat an additional 12,795 acres of forest land in McDowell County with mating disruption.  This is an application of pheromones designed to confuse the male moths and disrupt mating in low level populations.

The WVDA is soliciting public comment on the areas proposed for gypsy moth treatment. The WVDA will use this input to identify any significant issues related to the proposed project and to develop a range of alternatives. Written comments should be submitted to Quentin “Butch” Sayers, WVDA Gypsy Moth Program Manager, P.O. Box 9, New Creek, WV 26743 or via e-mail to qsayers@ag.state.wv.us no later than March 1, 2009.