2008 Supplemental Gypsy Moth Control
Program in Frederick County, Maryland

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During 2007, Frederick County forests were weakened by gypsy moth defoliation and a serious drought.  With stressed trees and an expanded gypsy moth population, forestry experts predicted that as many as 43,000 acres of County forest would be severely defoliated in Spring 2008.  Because of the severity of the potential loss to the critical forest acreage, a Gypsy Moth Task Force was organized to address this threat.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners committed $150,000 to a Supplemental cost share program sponsored by the Gypsy Moth Task Force to help make spraying for gypsy moth suppression affordable to County residents.  The Supplemental program enabled the treatment of 8,200 acres of forest owned by 300 separate landowners.  Together, with treatment by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service and others, a total of 81% of affected forest blocks were sprayed during May 2008.

On September 11, 2008 Frederick County Forestry Board member Mike Kay presented a report on the 2008 Gypsy Moth Suppression Program to the Frederick County Commissioners since they provided funding for cost share. The 2008 Supplemental Gypsy Moth Control Program report (1.3 MB) is available to download as a PDF file.  The report includes maps of the spray blocks overlaying areas that were defoliated during the summer of 2008.

The Task Force thanked all the participants who made it possible to protect such a large proportion of the County’s forests, particularly the Board of County Commissioners “. . . who had the foresight and conviction to appropriate funding necessary to make suppression costs affordable to most County residents.”