SPRUCE BUDWORM AERIAL SPRAYING BEGINS

Aerial spraying to control spruce budworm infestations in selected areas of the provincial forest has begun.

The Ministry of Environment will treat approximately 10,000 hectares of northern Saskatchewan forest land in areas near Delaronde, Anglin, Smoothstone and Green Lakes. The biological pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk), a naturally occurring soil bacterium deadly to certain types of caterpillars, is being used.

"Spraying to manage the spruce budworm is part of the provincial government's comprehensive forest insect management plan," Environment Minister Nancy Heppner said. "The program's overall approach is based on a solid foundation of effective monitoring and prompt action where unacceptable risks are identified. This approach has helped us to successfully manage budworm and will continue to serve us well as we face the emerging threat of the mountain pine beetle."

Ongoing monitoring helps identify potential threats, assess the associated risks and assists in developing effective science-based plans to address them, as well as to determine the effectiveness of treatments. The spruce budworm management program, in operation since 1992, is well-established in Saskatchewan. For mountain pine beetle, the focus so far has been on prevention, with a ban on bringing pine wood with bark into the province since 2002. The mountain pine beetle has not yet arrived in Saskatchewan's northern forests.

"The government continues to carefully monitor the progress toward Saskatchewan's northern pine forest of the mountain pine beetle in British Columbia and Alberta ," Heppner said. "We remain committed to working closely with the other provinces and the federal government to develop an effective national strategy to address the mountain pine beetle and other forest insect threats."

The 2008-09 provincial budget includes $220,000 to fund ongoing monitoring, prevention and training activities as part of the mountain pine beetle program.

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For more information, contact:

Dr. Rory McIntosh
Environment
Prince Albert
Phone: 306-953-3617