• Baskerville, G.L.
  University of New Brunswick
  
• Belyea, R.N.
  Canadian Forestry Service
  
• Kettela, E.G.
  Canadian Forestry Service
  
• Miller, C.A.
  Canadian Forestry Service
  
• Varty, I.W.
  
• Marshall, K Bradford
  New Brunswick Department of Natural resources
  

Thirty years ago the spruce budworm was of interest primarily to foresters and entomologists. However, with an ever increasing popular awareness of things environmental, broadening demands upon forest resources, and the fact that eastern Canada is presently experiencing one. of the worst budworm infestations in history, public interest in this No. 1 forest pest is at an all time high. Hardly a week passes when one does not see an article in the newspaper or hear something on radio or television concerning budworm. Hordes of budworm moths are appearing each year in such unlikely places as downtown Toronto. And even the most casual observer could hardly miss the reddish-brown halo, caused by budworm feeding, over spruce and fir trees along the roadways in Quebec, New Brunswick, and elsewhere. This greatly increased public interest has created an urgent need for a series of articles on the budworm that could be easily read and understood by the non-entomologist. A series that would answer such questions as: are there alternatives to spraying with insecticides for budworm control? why do we have infestations in spite of spraying? how damaging are the spray programs to the environment? and, is the cost of spray programs worth it? In spite of the extensive scientific literature on the budworm such a popular series is non-existent.