Funding available to Washington growers for tree removal
Funding is available through a grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grants. Eligible cherry, peach, nectarine, plum and other stone fruit orchards must have suffered a tree loss due to confirmed X-disease phytoplasma or Little cherry virus.
The affected orchard must be within 10 miles of other orchards owned by another legal entity. Greater than 20 trees must have been removed with costs incurred after 9/30/2021. Reimbursement levels are up to 50% cost share for up to ten acres (up to $7,500 per applicant).
Required documentation includes documentation of the presence of confirmed infection by X-disease phytoplasma, Little cherry virus 2, or Little cherry virus 1 via lab results (positive test results from one or more trees from labs participating in the WSU proficiency testing program or from Washington State University). Results must be from the year of tree removal.
For more information, visit http://treefruit.wsu.edu/cost-share-for-little-cherry-and-x-disease-tree-removal. Applications will be processed through your county contact:
- Will Carpenter, Chelan-Douglas-Okanogan County Pest Board, Will.Carpenter@CO.CHELAN.WA.US (509) 393-0975
- Pam Loa, Franklin County Pest Board, ploa@co.franklin.wa.us (509) 545-35-80, (509) 430-1535
- Mark Neilson, Benton County Conservation District, mark-nielson@conservewa.net (509) 366-1678
- Keith Mathews, Yakima County Pest Board, keith.mathews@co.yakima.wa.us (509) 571-5210
- Elliot DeLong, Grant County Conservation District, elliott-delong@conservewa.net (509) 765-9618For additional questions, contact Tianna DuPont, WSU Extension, by phone at (509) 713-5346 or via email at tianna.dupont@wsu.edu.