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58 WINES&VINES March 2018 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS WINE EAST W ashington, D.C.—Sonny Perdue, the U.S. secretary of agricul- ture, announced Feb. 7 that $17.5 million in emergency funding is being made available to combat the spotted lan- ternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in Pennsylvania. The inch-long insects, which were first reported in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014, feed on grapevines, apple and stone fruit trees, various hardwoods and more than 70 additional species. This funding, which will come from existing Commodity Credit Corp. balances, will permit the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to manage the outer perimeter of the insect's range, while the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) concentrates on a 3-mile perimeter around the core infestation area. According to the USDA, the goal of the expanded program is "to stop the leading edge of the infestation and start pushing it inward, while at the same time reduc- ing the density of spotted lanternfly populations in the core infested area." APHIS also plans to conduct surveys and implement control measures as necessary in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York. The USDA estimates that the affected area in fiscal year (FY) 2016 was 174 square miles, and that by the end of FY 2017 that area had expanded to approximately 3,000 square miles. The USDA announcement came a day after Tom Wolf, Pennsylva- nia's governor, proposed nearly $1.6 million for surveillance and response to the spotted lanternfly (SLF) as part of his budget plan for FY 2018-19. The funding would allow the PDA to increase its efforts in detection and eradication of the insects and coordinate their work with the new USDA program. In spite of efforts in Pennsylvania to quarantine this pest, SLF has been found in Delaware, Maryland and New York. Dr. Tony Wolf, profes- sor of viticulture at Virginia Tech, reported in the January issue of Viti- culture Notes that SLF egg masses were found in Winchester, Va., in early January. The economic impact on the grape, apple and hardwood in- dustries could be severe. —Linda Jones McKee Wine East Covering Eastern North America USDA Allocates $17.5 Million to Stop the Spotted Lanternfly Natural Corks Champagne Corks Twinline Corks Bartops VISION Synthetic Corks G-Cap® Screw Caps Sales Representatives: Chris & Liz Stamp info@lakewoodcork.com lakewoodcork.com 4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 607-535-9252 607-535-6656 Fax PIONEER INNOVATOR PARTNER Wines & Vines Digital Edition View this issue on your tablet, smartphone or online at winesandvines.com/ digitaledition winesandvines.com The spotted lanternfly feeds on grapevines, fruit trees and hardwoods. PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE