 |
|
GRAND FORKS – Forest health experts from the Ministry of
Forests and Range are inviting residents of the Regional District of Kootenay
Boundary to an information session to discuss proposed treatment plans to reduce the threat
the Douglas-fir tussock moth poses to the area’s Douglas-fir forests.
When: Thursday, March 19
7 to 8 p.m.
Where: McArthur Centre
346 South Copper Street
Greenwood
The session will include an open floor for questions and answers, advice
for landowners interested in protecting their trees, proposed treatment maps,
and information on the moth. The plan includes the aerial treatment of small
areas of Crown land near Christina Lake, Eholt, Greenwood and Rock Creek with
tussock moth populations that established themselves over the last two years.
The total area of the treatment sites is about 100 hectares and may be
extended to include, with landowners’ consent, small patches of private
forested land that join or are adjacent to the treatment areas. Depending on
monitoring results, a few, small, additional sites may also be treated, either
by ground or air. The proposed treatment involves a naturally occurring nuclear
polyhedrosis virus that is specific to the tussock moth and has no effect on
any other organisms. It is federally regulated and registered for managing the
tussock moth.
The Douglas-fir tussock moth is a native species
with caterpillars that feast on Douglas-fir, pine and other tree needles, often
to the point of the tree’s death. Tussock moth outbreak periods can last up to
four years, quickly spread to nearby areas, and cause significant tree and
forest damage and mortality. The hairs on the tussock moth caterpillar can
cause allergic reactions in some people.
For more information on the Tussock moth, see: http:www.for.gov.bc.ca/rsi/ForestHealth/Tussock_Moth.htm or email: tussockmoth@gov.bc.ca
-30-
|
contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592 |
|
|
|
||
|
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
||
