QUEEN’S PARK – Tim Hudak, MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, called on the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) from the Assembly floor yesterday to help fund a cost-shared gypsy moth spraying program with affected municipalities and property owners before it’s too late.

Tim Hudak tours the Binbrook property of Dan and Barb Arbuckle to survey the damage done to it by gypsy moths last summer.In a statement in the Legislature yesterday, Hudak warned MNR Minister Donna Cansfield that time is running desperately short for the province to come to the table and provide funding for an aerial spraying program. Spraying for gypsy moths must be done in early spring in order to effectively curb the infestation, which defoliated more than 31,000 acres in 2007.

“Arborists who have studied these affected areas expect the infestation to grow even more in 2008 unless decisive action is taken now,” Hudak said.

Hudak applauded the efforts of affected municipalities – such as the City of Hamilton, Township of West Lincoln and Town of Pelham – for their initiative in working to create their own cost-shared spraying programs with local residents. Hudak added, however, that municipalities and property owners can not afford to effectively fight the infestation on their own.

“The cost of fighting this infestation cannot be put squarely on the backs of small municipalities and the affected property owners alone,” Hudak said. “Glanbrook residents like Dan and Barb Arbuckle and Anne Dunham, and West Lincoln residents like Scotty Bakalar, cannot fight this infestation on their own.”

Watch video of Tim Hudak’s statement on gypsy moths in the Legislature by clicking here: http://www.timhudakmpp.com/newsroom/hudak-calls-minister-legislature-fun....