A closeup of a spruce budworm larvae and the damage they can do feeding on the needles of a spruce or fir tree. Photo courtesy of Maine Forest Service

A disaster relief bill pending before Congress includes $14 million to fight the spread of the spruce budworm, a species of tree-killing moths that is making a comeback in northern Maine.

The federal funding would be supplemented by state and private money for spraying, according to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who requested the funding and announced the proposal Wednesday. The bill now awaits consideration by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“Throughout history, spruce budworm outbreaks have proven harmful to Maine’s forest products industry, resulting in the loss of timberland, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars and good-paying jobs,” Collins said in a statement. “As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding, which would be used to treat nearly 300,000 acres of Maine forests infected by spruce budworm and prevent further spread, helping to keep this vital sector of Maine’s economy strong for years to come.”

The last spruce budworm outbreak lasted from 1967 to 1993, covering 136 million acres across Maine and eastern Canada. It stripped the needles from fir and spruce trees across most of northern Maine, killing 7 million acres of trees and costing the state’s forest products industry hundreds of millions of dollars.

The pest has plagued Maine’s northern borders for nearly two decades, and researchers this summer saw a significant expansion of the infestation in Maine, raising concerns that another once-in-a-generation outbreak might have begun.

Recent monitoring of Maine’s forests by the University of Maine shows a growing likelihood for a serious outbreak and indicates that as many as 300,000 acres of Maine fir trees are at risk, Collins said.

Left untreated, spruce budworm could spread to more than 6 million acres — nearly half of Maine’s forests. That would translate to an estimated reduction of 500,000 cords of annual wood supply, as well as a potential loss of $794 million and 3,865 direct and indirect jobs.