Two key changes were made. A public relations effort was launched to increase public awareness, rebuild grower support and provide technical information to aid in the cleanup effort. The Provincial government stepped in with a one-time allotment of funds as an incentive for growers to aggressively manage their codling moth populations. 1996 is now a year of decision for the SIR Program, and could be its last. The eradication program is running about two years behind the original schedule.
Costs continue to creep up from the original, admittedly optimistic, budget.
Dr. Bloem is restructuring operations to address the challenges that these departures create. The SIR Board has recently hired a Special Projects Manager to help resolve some of the future funding requirements of the program. He has been asked to make recommendations to the Board in October of this year which, combined with the 1996 field results, will be used to decide the program s future. However, as we move through the 1996 season, Dr. Bloem believes there is reason for optimism. The intensive spray program of last year, combined with sterile moth releases, appears to have greatly reduced the wild codling moth population.