The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today released the much anticipated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) detailing the agency’s methods to manage the light brown apple moth (LBAM) and defining what, if any, impacts those methods have on the environment.

The study is especially welcome because it makes evidence-based decisions and recommendations on which treatment options are most effective while still keeping the health and safety of Californians and the environment as the key, most important focus.

In a nutshell, the EIR found that the approaches CDFA has proposed (the use of moth pheromone, organically-approved materials and sterile moths), do not have negative impacts on humans or the environment. Furthermore, the report concluded that the absence of a systematic control/eradication program would potentially result in greater environmental impacts because private parties and organizations would be more likely to apply pesticides independently.

I know this has been a contentious issue for some time, so I invite everyone to read the EIR for themselves to learn more about how those conclusions were reached. The EIR can be downloaded at CDFA’s website, at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PDEP/lbam/envimpactrpt.html.

Larry Hawkins
Legislative and Public Affairs Officer
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture