Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week announced that six counties have been added to Pennsylvania’s spotted lanternfly quarantine zone ahead of the 2023 spring hatch. With this addition, the quarantine for this invasive pest now includes 51 counties.
“Spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that is disruptive and damaging to our agriculture commodities and a nuisance pest for all Pennsylvanians,” said Redding. “Through collective and intentional efforts, including instituting quarantine zones, we continue to slow the spread of this insect, and I call on all Pennsylvanians to assist. This time of year, before the eggs hatch in spring, do your part to help manage the pest by scraping egg masses and reporting where they are found. Each egg mass destroyed eliminates 30-50 lanternflies before they have an opportunity to hatch and spread.”
Spotted lanternflies have not been found throughout the entirety of each of the new six counties, but rather have been found only in a few municipalities. Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Lawrence, and Somerset counties are new to the quarantine for 2023 .
“The purpose of expanding the quarantine is to raise awareness and slow the spread of the spotted lanternfly,” said Dr. Ruth Welliver, director of the department’s Bureau of Plant Industry. “Thanks to an actively engaged community, and aggressive treatment and monitoring by the Department of Agriculture and our partners, we are limiting the spread and impact of this pest across the Commonwealth and are assisting our commodity growers in protecting their crops.”
Today, the department is also announcing opportunities for funding to help counties slow the spread of spotted lanternfly. Through the PA Farm Bill’s Rapid Response and Disaster Preparedness Fund, $150,000 will be available for grants for county conservation districts in Pennsylvania. The department will award grants of up to $25,000 to assist conservation districts with activities designed to enhance spotted lanternfly quarantine compliance by businesses and residents of their county. The application period opens on March 5, 2023, and closes on Friday, April 7, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Learn more about this grant opportunity in the PA Bulletin on March 4, 2023.
Businesses that operate in or travel through quarantined counties are required to obtain a spotted lanternfly permit. Homeowners with questions about treatment are encouraged to contact their local Penn State Extension office or learn about management, including approved sprays, at their website. Pennsylvanians who live inside the quarantine zone should also review and sign the Compliance Checklist for residents.
Since 2015, the department has received more than $53 million to combat spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania – $32 million in federal funds and another $21 million in state investment.
For more information on spotted lanternfly, visit agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly. For more about the PA Farm Bill and its investments in a sustainable agriculture industry visit agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.
To report a sighting of spotted lanternfly, visit https://extension.psu.edu/have-you-seen-a-spotted-lanternflyOpens In A New Window.
Note: High quality, public domain photos of spotted lanternfly are available for download through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Spotted Lanternfly Flickr album.
photo source: www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly
Be the first to comment on "Lawrence County Added To Pennsylvania’s Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine"