Ottawa County's gypsy moth program terminated

Fri, Feb 5, 2010    to del.icio.us

Due to a lack of participation and funding in some of the targeted townships in Ottawa County, the county's Gypsy Moth Suppression Program has been terminated.

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The program has been run through the Ottawa Conservation District for more than 15 years. According to Liz Sperry, coordinator of the county's gypsy moth program, funding and participation in the program had been lacking through the years.

"To be honest, I had been expecting this," she said.

Sperry said the cuts to the county suppression program began when federal and state funding was slashed. Then funding from the county and local participating townships were cut.

"We've been losing more and more funding every year," Sperry said.

Even though the cuts led to the program to be terminated officially in January, Sperry said she understands why — in a time when budgets are being cut across the board — the gypsy moth program was axed. She said there were other programs in local communities that were in need of the funding.

In spite of the program's elimination, an alternative has been proposed to communities and people who may miss the suppression program. Hatfield's Spraying Service Inc. is offering gypsy moth treatment services to communities and private individuals in Ottawa County.

Sperry said she has had a working relationship with the Nunica-based aerial spraying service. This relationship has included working with the company to provide treatment for the official Ottawa County program, as well as performing work for them outside of the county.

"Basically, they hired me in December (2009) to help them with gypsy moth work in the state," Sperry said.

According to Sperry, the company will allow those utilizing the service the same services that were offered through the former Ottawa County Gypsy Moth Suppression Program. This includes surveying infestations and effective treatment options, post-treatment efficacy evaluations, public education sessions and treatment of targeted acreage using a fixed-wing aircraft.

"The only limit in terms of what they will spray is they have to have (at least) a 15-acre plot," Sperry said.

The cost of the service, according to Sperry, is about $35 per acre — a price similar to what she was paying when using them for the county's official program.

"Anyone who wants to be sprayed, basically, they have to contact me," Sperry said.

More information on the program can be obtained by contacting Sperry at (616) 477-6573.