McGovern Sends Beetle Money Request to USDA
BEETLE BRIEF
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/08/09
WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack on Thursday requesting an additional $30 million in emergency funding to help eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle from central Massachusetts, according to a spokesman in Mr. McGovern’s office.
The letter was signed by all 12 members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and comes one day after Congress approved $13.3 million in beetle eradication aid for fiscal year 2010 as part of a larger agriculture appropriations bill.
“We are concerned that more funding is required to properly eradicate the beetle in Central Massachusetts,” reads the letter, which notes that the region received $24.5 million in emergency aid in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30.
Since the first discovery of the destructive beetle in Worcester, the letter says the infested area has expanded to 66 square miles—though in September, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation said the area was up to 74 square miles. Michael Mershon, spokesman for Mr. McGovern, said the discrepancy is because the letter began circulating in August, before the change.
“The beetle expands pretty rapidly… [The area size] has been amended seven times,” he said.
The letter also calls attention to the ice storm last winter that “complicated the eradication effort and made the challenging task of [Asian longhorned beetle] eradication even more difficult due to debris removal.”
U.S. Agriculture Department spokeswoman Rhonda J. Santos in Worcester said she was unable to speculate on the likelihood of the request being granted.
####
