Lawmakers have requested $32.2 million in emergency funds from the USDA to fight a pest infestation looming over California’s wine industry. Senators say that the infestation \u2014 first detected through grapevines sold at Costco \u2014 could pose a “potentially catastrophic” threat unless immediate action is taken. <\/p>\n
The pest in question is the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a species of leafhopper that typically clocks in at around half an inch in length. Accidentally introduced to California in the late 1980s, the bugs eat grapevines and spread a bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease, an incurable infection that withers and kills vines by clogging their waterways. <\/p>\n
Warning signs first appeared in late May, when local officials detected the pests in nursery grapevines sold at nearly two dozen Costco locations across the state. The infestation was traced back to a single nursery, and 63 affected vines were located and destroyed. However, lawmakers now suspect that the crops have been transported to residential homes in at least 38 different counties, many of which are located in and near key grape-producing regions. <\/p>\n
In a letter sent to the US Department of Agriculture last week, senators and congressmembers urged the government to send funds before the end of the month, lest the state’s $170.5 billion wine industry be put at urgent risk. <\/p>\n
“If left unchecked, the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates that losses associated with PD\/GWSS could eclipse $104 million annually,” the lawmakers wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n The funding would be used to support emergency response efforts, including ongoing tracing, surveying and trapping programs over the next three years. <\/p>\n