CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Additional funding is being sought to address a shortfall in the state black fly spraying program’s budget.
Department of Agriculture spokesman Butch Antolini said Wednesday that agriculture officials have requested a $300,000 supplemental appropriation.
Antolini says the funding would allow the program to maintain a regular spraying schedule through June 30.
The state generally sprays a bacterium called Bti along the Bluestone, Greenbrier and New rivers from mid-March to October. A rainy summer in 2013 ate up a lot of the current fiscal year’s budget.
Antolini says there is enough funding to conduct one more spraying before July 1, when the new fiscal year and budget begin.
He says agriculture officials are hopeful that the additional funding will be approved during a special legislative session in May.
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