WASHINGTON, D.C. -The House of Representatives approved $8.7 million in funding to combat Sudden Oak Death. Representatives Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) and Mike Thompson (D-North Coast) requested the funding as part of the fiscal year 2005 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

“The devastating affects of Sudden Oak Death are now felt not only in Northern California, but throughout the country,” said Rep. Woolsey. “I will continue to work to fund Sudden Oak Death until this disease can finally be contained.”

Sudden Oak Death Syndrome is a fungus like pathogen that has decimated oak trees and infected other plant species such as California’s prized redwood trees. The disease has stricken at least 12 California counties and has spread to the Pacific Northwest since it was first discovered in Mill Valley in 1995. In April the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued an order restricting the interstate movement of all California nursery stock as a result of the discovery Sudden Oak Death fungus in Southern California. This order seriously affected California’s $12 billion a year nursery industry.

“The North Coast has been hit hard by Sudden Oak Death. Far too many of our trees have been infected.” Thompson said. “This funding will aid the fight to control and eventually eradicate the disease.”

The $8.7 Million approved by the House was allocated to the following programs.

- $1.250 million for the Agriculture Research Service
- $188,000 for the Cooperative State Research Education