• Irland, Lloyd C.
  Maine Bureau of Public Lands Department of Conservation
  

An epidemic of spruce budworm, a native insect, expanded dramatically in northeastern North America in the 1970s (Fig. l). The outbreak induced forestry agencies to undertake massive spraying programs (Maine Forest Service 1978). This program reached staggering proportions in 1976, where more than 20 million acres were sprayed in Quebec, Maine, and New Brunswick (Table l, Fig. l). Such widespread spraying has triggered intense controversy over the potential hazards posed by insecticides to the forest environment, and over possible risks to human health. The spray programs have retarded widespread tree mortality, but the need for repeated treatment over most areas has fostered the view among many critics that the spray programs are ultimately futile since they do not eradicate the infestation in a short time.