Purpose

• The bill provides funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to support spongy moth management. It aims to equip the Slow the Spread program to monitor, control, and treat spongy moth populations.

Main Provisions

• Section 1: Appropriates 954,000 dollars in fiscal year 2026 and 954,000 dollars in fiscal year 2027 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to the Commissioner of Agriculture. These funds are designated for the Slow the Spread program to monitor, control, and treat spongy moth populations.

What the bill seeks to accomplish

• Increase funding to the Slow the Spread program so that state agencies can actively monitor spongy moth populations and implement methods to control and treat them. The goal is to slow the spread of spongy moths and reduce their impact on forests, ecosystems, and agricultural areas.

Significance / Changes to existing law

• Introduces a new targeted appropriation from the ENRTF to the Department of Agriculture specifically for spongy moth management through the Slow the Spread program. This represents a funding-based change to support ongoing monitoring, control, and treatment activities.

Implementation notes

• Funds are directed to the Commissioner of Agriculture for the stated program activities, indicating administrative responsibility and coordination within the state government for spongy moth management.

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Relevant Terms - spongy moth - gypsy moth (synonym) - monitoring - control - treatment - Slow the Spread program - environment and natural resources trust fund - Commissioner of Agriculture - appropriation - fiscal year 2026 - fiscal year 2027