PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Gov. Dennis Daugaard says landowners in the
Black Hills are showing a strong interest in fighting the region's
widespread infestation of mountain pine beetles.
The South Dakota governor unveiled an initiative to fight pine
beetles in August, and the state Agriculture Department is now
helping landowners with identification and eradication efforts.
Daugaard says about 1,900 landowners have signed up more than
95,000 acres of private land to be surveyed to identify trees
infested with the beetles that kill trees. Infested trees will be
marked for removal.
The new initiative will provide an additional $1 million in
state funding a year for the next three years in an effort to
control the spread of the beetles.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-10-16-11 1649EDT
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