Pa. gets federal money to fight invasive species
Photo by Wikicommons user Thomas Brown
(Harrisburg) — Invasive species disrupt the ecological balance in the midstate, and can frustrate farmers too.
But now, the state is getting $3.1 million from the federal government to fight the pests.
“With this money we hope to start implementing practices to help just keep [the spotted lanternfly] contained there and eventually eliminate it, and so we’re extremely happy to be receiving that kind of support,” says Sven-Erik Spichiger with the state Department of Agriculture.
The invasive insect has been spotted in a few townships in eastern Berks County.
He says the agency will also watch the Asian giant hornet with some of the grant money.
“Which is a very scary beast and one of the very exciting things about this, as part of this project is we actually get to develop a plan to eradicate that should it ever be detected here.”
The Asian giant hornet killed dozens of people in China in 2013.
In total, the grant money will help fund 21 state programs related to invasive species.
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