Gypsy moth spraying options under review BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer JACKSON - Responding to concerns from residents whose property was hit hard by a gypsy moth infestation this year, Mayor Mark Seda this week sought to set the record straight as to why Jackson did not participate in an aerial spraying program. "Many snippets of stories have been circulating around town regarding this year's gypsy moth spraying program," Seda said. "I believe residents deserve to know the full story about how the decisions were made and what steps are being taken now and in the future." Seda said he and the members of the Township Council want the most effective solution to reduce the gypsy moth population at the lowest per capita cost, while looking out for the safety of Jackson's residents and the environment. He said the state determines which areas of a municipality will be sprayed. "Each municipality pays to participate in the program," the mayor explained. "For that program the state sponsors aerial surveys that determine which zones are the most sensitive for potential gypsy moth infestation in the current year. The state only sprays those zones." He said the state does not spray land it owns. "To put this in perspective, Jackson is over 64,000 acres," Seda said. "Each time the state has sprayed here for gypsy moths, on average only about 5,000 acres of the township has been determined to be eligible for spraying." The mayor said the coverage area varies by only a small amount each year, while the burden of the bill is shared by every taxpayer. In 2007 the coverage area for state spraying would have been 7,604 acres as determined by a state grid, the mayor said. "The question arises as to what properties will be protected, what properties will be affected and how can we, the mayor and council, maximize the protection in the future," Seda said, adding that officials examined the effectiveness and the cost of pesticides. The state uses a suppression pesticide called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), he said, adding that Bt is less effective than the pesticide Dimilin, which costs more than Bt, but is more effective. Under optimal spraying conditions, Bt is known to be able to control only 45 to 50 percent of the gypsy moths, Seda said. The mayor said Jackson participated in the state's aerial spraying program in 2006. The spraying used Bt and the net result was very unsatisfactory, he said. "Taking these facts into consideration, along with input from the Ocean County Shade Tree Commission, the environmental commission and Jackson's forester, during budget planning for 2007, I decided to not participate in this year's state gypsy moth spraying program," Seda said. "However, that does not mean I was not concerned about the gypsy moths. I felt we needed to look into more effective, less costly and environmentally sound solutions that could benefit more residents." Seda said he and the council members are supporting state Senate bill S-2875 and state Assembly bill A-4468 which were recently introduced by Sen. Robert Singer and assemblymen Joseph Malone and Ron Dancer. These bills, if eventually signed into law by the governor, will require the state to fully fund New Jersey's gypsy moth spraying program. "We are petitioning the state to use the more effective pesticide Dimilin in their spraying program," Seda said. "In addition, we are looking into a co-op with a few nearby towns to reduce our costs of spraying while increasing the areas covered." Seda said a resolution to waive fees associated with taking down and/or replacing trees that were damaged by the gypsy moth infestation this year was passed at the council's June 26 meeting. The mayor said the option of a ground spraying program at a fraction of the cost, one that could be implemented on a local level, is also being explored. "The council and I recognize that gypsy moths can be a devastating problem, but we also recognize that this problem does not effect all land areas equally. It is our goal to find the safest, most effective solution at the lowest cost to residents," Seda said.