(February 11)  San Bernardino County remains free of the peril represented by the Light Brown Apple Moth, according to county agricultural commissioner John G. Gardner.
The Light Brown Apple Moth, a serious pest impacting grapes, citrus, pome fruits and stone fruits, is a threat to California agriculture and to the economy of California, causing barriers to the export market. Damaging to a broad range of plant species, the Light Brown Apple Moth will take as a host many trees and ornamental species, giving it the potential to cause serious damage to natural areas and urban settings as well as to agricultural crops.
According to Gardner, “The Light Brown Apple Moth was first discovered in the San Francisco Bay Area in the fall of 2006; since then it has been detected in 24 California counties. To date, San Bernardino County has not detected the Light Brown Apple Moth. A Federal Domestic Quarantine Order was established on May 2, 2007 that required, in addition to other actions, additional Light Brown Apple Moth trapping to ensure continued interstate movement of regulated plants and plant products. San Bernardino County has performed Light Brown Apple Moth detection and trapping services on behalf  of the state through annual agreements since July 1, 2007.”
Those traps have been placed on trees and near crops at various locations throughout the county.
Gardner indicated the county would continue to monitor the situation.
“Traps will be placed alongside existing detection trap sites, so no additional personnel or resources will be required to fulfill this agreement,” Gardner said.
The state has agreed to compensate the county in an amount not to exceed $52,491 to reimburse the county department of agriculture for its staffing costs from last October through September of this year, based on the number of trap placements and time spent inspecting/servicing the traps.
By participating in the program, Gardner said, the county is benefiting itself through taking steps to see that “economic value is maintained by ensuring continued interstate movement of regulated plants and plant products. Performing these detection activities to prevent the Light Brown Apple Moth from taking hold in the county and causing damage is far less expensive than remediation costs if a significant presence occurs as a result of delayed detection activities.”