As a destructive, invasive bug is threatening trees and crops across much of the state, Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is introducing legislation in Congress to fund mitigation efforts aimed at controlling the spotted lanternfly.
Blumenthal’s proposed legislation would designate anywhere from $20 to $50 million for the effort.
“We have a lot to worry about right now in this country – you would think the spotted lanternfly maybe is low on the list of worries,” Blumenthal said at a Monday press conference in East Hartford. “But, actually, it can do grave, immediate damage to trees, grapes, vineyards, hops, breweries. Economically, it poses a real threat to Connecticut.”
Blumenthal was joined at the press event by Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Director Jason White and Connecticut state entomologist Jacob Ricker.
“Spotted lanternfly – or SLF, as we know it – is one of our species of greatest concern,” White said. “We first detected this in Connecticut in 2020, and, as of this morning, it’s been detected in 153 [of 169] Connecticut towns, posing a grave risk to both agriculture and our forest ecosystems.”
Blumenthal says his proposal is an investment.
“If they are allowed to continue to spread, it will be all the more difficult to contain and eradicate them,” he said.
He added: “I’m not for killing wildlife, but these insects do not belong here.”
Residents can report spotted lanternfly sightings to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection advises residents to kill the bugs on sight.
