A local lawmaker is taking action to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly.
Congressman Mike Kelly joined with colleagues from Pennsylvania and New York to introduce the bipartisan Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act.
This legislation designates the Spotted Lanternfly as an object of high-priority research and extension under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It also authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants available for research projects related to the mitigation of this invasive species in order to find creative solutions to stop the spread before cash crops are further decimated.
According to Kelly, the Spotted Lanternfly could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage and eliminate thousands of agricultural jobs. Residents are urged to learn how to identify these pests and kill them whenever possible.