Possible withdrawal by Vernon could kill progam

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ By Judie Steevesstaff reporter May 27 2007

Members of the Sterile Insect Release program board are “aghast” that Vernon city council has reservations about such an environmentally-friendly program when all polls indicate the public favours such initiatives. The program involves irradiating codling moths (an introduced and devastating pest of the apple industry) to sterilize them, then releasing them in orchards to mate ineffectively with wild moths. At Friday’s monthly board meeting SIR director Allan Patton questioned whether Vernon realizes if they succeed in dropping out of the valley-wide program, “it’s the end of the SIR program.” North Okanagan Regional District director Stan Field responded, “Some realize and some don’t give a damn.”

An amendment to the service establishment bylaw, which would allow the board to continue with representatives from all areas until the end of the year, was deferred when it got to Vernon city council pending a meeting between Coun. Barry Beardsell, MLA Tom Christensen and regional district chairman Jerry Oglow. It’s already been approved by the other regional districts that make up the board. Director Kevin Flynn of the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District stated: “With all the public concern about the environment I can’t understand why some politicians would object to paying $6 to $12 a household to reduce this pesticide use.” "Public pressure will dictate how the politicians respond to the program,” said Fred Steele. Director Joe Sardinha pointed out the program protects the air and water by reducing the volumne of pesticides that have to be sprayed. So he doesn’t understand how it wouldn’t fit with an objective of being more environmentally-friendly.

SIR general manager Cara McCurrach said they are in the process of applying for a designation as a Low Pest Prevalence Area by the North America Plant Protection Organization. The basis of the designation would be the fact that 90.2 per cent of all orchards in the region have had less than .5 per cent damage from codling moth for the past two years. That would give growers a marketing tool for apples grown in the region covered by the SIR program, she explained. The program is one that’s being watched by scientists from all over the world, and this summer seven visiting scientists will be coming to the valley facility to train, paying the program $31,000 for the opportunity.