A.G. Kawamura: California agriculture chief defends moth spraying

Every day, in almost every part of the state, the California Department of Food and Agriculture battles invasive species that threaten our health and well-being, our environment, our vital food supplies and our quality of life.

Unfortunately, a particularly troubling invasive pest, the light brown apple moth, has been detected in one of California's most treasured regions - Monterey, Santa Cruz and the Bay Area.

The crisis is immediate, and this is an environmental emergency requiring quick action by the state and federal governments. Left unchecked, the light brown apple moth would spread rapidly, threatening more than 2,000 plants; our beloved Central Coast cypress, redwoods and oaks; and more than 250 agricultural crops. The threat is so widespread that international scientists with experience with the pest call it the light brown "everything" moth.

The threat to the environment is significant.

If the moth becomes established and weakens our native oaks, the damage already caused by the native oak moth could worsen considerably. And there could be further systematic impacts. The stress from this new pest could make oak and pines more susceptible to such devastating diseases as sudden oak death and pine pitch canker. The light brown apple moth also threatens new plant growth and seedlings of oak, cypress and redwood and it threatens new growth in the forest canopy. It also threatens almost all of the ornamental plants in our yards, including roses, camellias and rhododendrons.