Clinton officials address gypsy moth invasion
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LOCK HAVEN -- There's a growing gypsy moth problem in Clinton County and throughout the Commonwealth. The Clinton County commissioners addressed the issue during Thursday's voting meeting.
The moths -- also now being called spongy moths -- have been seen in large quantities locally.
Commissioner Jeff Snyder spoke at length about what he called the moth "invasion."
"We did receive a couple of phone calls during the week, people complaining about them, asking what they were and what's being done about them," Snyder said.
Snyder said that he looked up some statistics about gypsy moths and the damage the insect can inflict on the environment.
According to Snyder, Pennsylvania has 16.6 million acres of forested land, which covers 58 percent of the state. The state, he said, will be spraying a total of 203,569 of state forest lands.
"That's 12 percent of the total of the state land," Snyder said.
In Clinton County, he said, the state is spraying 4,385 acres. "Plus Hyner View," Snyder said. "Of course, they're just spraying state properties … that's all I'm asking them to do."
In the past, Snyder said, the state would work with treating private property.
"They don't have the funds to do that anymore," Snyder noted.
Snyder said that he is asking the state for help combating the moths.
"Once again, I am asking the state legislators to take some of the money they're taking from timber sales and gas leases and re-invest in spraying the state forests that they manage and try and reduce this problem of gypsy moths. We will never eradicate this problem, but at least we can try and stay ahead of it," Snyder said. "That's one thing as citizens … you can ask your state legislators to re-invest those dollars back in before we lose this valuable, renewable resource that we have in timber."
Snyder said that the moths can cause serious damage.
"Two years of defoliation and the trees are dead," he said.
Commissioner Angela Harding said that people are contacting the commissioners about the problem, but there is little they can do.
"We are not state legislators. We got a lot of calls this week from people thinking we can do something about it. That's not us. You've got to go to the next level," Harding said.
Snyder chimed in as well.
"If the state wants to turn over those timber sales and gas leases to us and we get those revenues, we will re-invest those dollars," Snyder said.
"Be careful what you wish for," quipped commissioner Miles Kessinger.
The Clinton County commissioners will meet again in two weeks. There will not be a work session on Monday, May 30, due to Memorial Day.