• Irland, Lloyd C.
  Maine Forest Service
  

Insect and disease losses in American forests claim large volumes

of wood annually-equal to a substantial fraction of the amount actually

harvested for industrial uses. These losses attract manager's attention

most directly during the sporadic insect outbreaks which threaten to

damage timber over large areas. Insecticide spraying has frequently

been employed against such outbreaks. From 1945 to 2974, over 30 million

acres of forests were treated with insecticides, largely DDT (NAS, 1975,

p. 170). In 1976 alone, nearly 23 million acres were sprayed for budworm

in Maine, Quebec, and New Brunswick. The accumulated costs of these

operations are enormous. The Potential implications for forest productivity

and environmental quality are serious. A problem of such scope and

significance deserves more attention from forest resource economists.

This Note reviews economic issues encountered in appraising the benefits

and costs of spruce budworm spray projects.