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  Maine Department of Conservation - Maine Forest Service
  

This publication presents an overview of activities planned for the years 1976-1981 in response to Maine's spruce budworm epidemic. A of 1976, more than 150 million acres in Eastern Canada and Maine with infested with spruce budworm. Spruce and fir on large acreages have been heavily damaged by repeated defoliation. The seriousness of the situation prompted the State of Maine to undertake, in Cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and forest landowners, a 3.5 million acre spray project in spring 1976. This was the largest forest insect spray operation ever conducted in the United States.

The need to deal with current outbreak and to develop a long term budworm management policy became obvious in the early 1970's. In response, the Maine Department of Conservation developed a six-year plan to guide the state's efforts. In March 1976, the Legislature passed a new law providing for staffing, financing, tax incentives to give effect to the six-year plan. The publication reviews plans for implementing that program. Major sections describe the budworm problem, the Budworm Suppression Act, program objectives, the cooperative approach, resource management activities, research and development work, and the coordination of these efforts.