Economics, esthetics, environment, and entomologists: the tussock moth dilemma

Previous outbreaks of the Douglas fir tussock moth, and the various problems encountered with pesticide usage, specifically DDT, are reviewed. According to USFS, 690,000 acres of fir timber have been defoliated in Washington and Oregon. The decision to employ pesticides must involve estimates of the monetary loss, the future dependence on pesticides, and the effect on the wildlife habitat. No satisfactory registered pesticide is available, and the more than $.75 million to be spent on analyzing the effects of DDT is better spent on research of alternatives. Many people are to blame for the confusion and lack of positive steps, and it is time to escape from political solutions and return to scientific research and analysis.