Published: October 06, 2007 12:43 am      

Forest owners may apply for assistance with spraying

CUMBERLAND — The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Maryland is working with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Service to help farmers protect their trees from gypsy moth defoliation, according to NRCS State Conservationist Jon Hall.

Forest landowners in all counties are eligible to apply for financial assistance for forest stand improvement practices, including gypsy moth control. Severely defoliated forest land in Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Harford, Cecil, Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Talbot counties will be a priority.

More than 100,000 acres in Western Maryland have been identified with gypsy moth infestation concerns.

“The gypsy moth is by far the most destructive pest of forest and shade trees in Maryland,” said Hall. The caterpillars eat the leaves of oaks and other hardwoods in May and June. Heavy populations of caterpillars will eat most or all the leaves on a tree, potentially killing it. The first defoliation in Maryland occurred in 1980. Large outbreaks have since affected hundreds of thousands of acres statewide.

Forest landowners can apply for assistance at the NRCS field offices. Approximately $800,000 will be used to offset the costs of aerial spraying and planting of trees and shrubs in areas where defoliation potential exists.

Eligibility will be limited to landowners with forest tracts of 10 acres or more and a current forest stewardship or management plan.

Program applications will be evaluated monthly with the first evaluation to be held by Oct. 26. Adjacent properties will be sprayed together whenever possible to allow participating landowners the reduced cost of a group rate. The financial reimbursement of $30 per acre will be available for highest priority properties.

For more information, log on to www.md.nrcs.usda.gov.