Federal funding challenges cancel spongy moth management in NE MN

Planned spongy moth management in Carlton, Itasca and St. Louis counties is canceled because of federal funding challenges, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said.

There is only a short window in the spring when aerial insecticide treatment is effective. MDA did not receive the necessary federal funds in time to conduct its proposed operations.

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Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Spongy moth, formerly known as gypsy moth, is a destructive invasive pest that threatens forest health. MDA had planned treatment for nearly 3,000 acres across the state, including areas near Grand Rapids, Cromwell, Moose Lake, Cloquet and on the Fond du Lac Reservation.

In a news release, MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen said the spongy moth populations will likely increase and spread in the cancellation areas, making future treatment more complex and costly.

"For decades, a partnership between the MDA, ten states and the USDA Forest Service, the national Slow the Spread (STS) program has effectively reduced the spread of spongy moth populations; an invasive and destructive forest pest, by greater than 60%," the MDA stated on its spongy moth webpage.

The agency is still planning additional management, though that is also reliant on federal funding. The MDA says it will receive initial funding for its spongy moth survey, but the status of additional aerial management funds is unknown.