200 [Maryland. Manual

Assistant Secretary also coordinates Office activities
with other Department programs and with local,
State, and federal officials In addition, the Assistant
Secretary manages cooperative agreements with
local, county, State and federal agencies
Under the Office are seven Sections Forest Pest
Management, Mosquito Control, Pesticide Regula-
tion, Plant Protection, State Chemist, Turf and
Seed, and Weed Control

FOREST PEST MANAGEMENT SECTION
Robert H Tichenor, Jr , Chef
841-5922

Known as the Gypsy Moth Control Section
until 1987, the Forest Pest Management Section
protects forests by working to eradicate or control
insect, particularly gypsy moth, infestations and
disease
The gypsy moth is the most destructive forest
pest of the eastern United States It harms trees in
wooded residential areas, parks, and recreation
areas Consequently, the moth is the subject of a
State and a national quarantine program This pest
has been present in Maryland since 1971 Despite
an active suppression program, the gypsy moth
continues threatening unprotected trees The
cooperative local, State, and federal program to
manage the moth is coordinated by the Annapolis
office Branch offices are located in Bel Air, Chel
tenham, Cumberland, Denton, and Mr Airy

MOSQUITO CONTROL SECTION
Stanley R Joseph, Ph D , Cinef
841-5870

The Mosquito Control Section conducts a
statewide cooperatively funded program to provide
mosquito control services Branch offices are lo-
cated in College Paris, Salisbury, and Leonardtown
Environmentally compatible temporary methods
of insecticide application (adulticiding and larvacid-
ing) and permanent methods (water management)
are used to control mosquitoes In addition to
implementing control measures, the Section
monitors the environmental impact of the program,
develops effective control methods, and conducts
epidemiological investigations of mosquito borne
diseases (Code Agriculture Article, sees 5-401
through 5-405)

PESTICIDE REGULATION SECTION

Mary Ellen Setting, Cinef
841 5710

Formerly the Pesticide Applicators Law Section,
the Pesticide Regulation Section received its new
name in 1987 It regulates the use of pesticides in
Maryland The Section licenses businesses engaged
in commercial application of pesticides, trains and

certifies commercial and private pesticide ap-
plicators, and enforces the Pesticide Applicators
Law and Regulations The Section also provides
technical advice on the use of pesticides
The Chief is the State's authority on matters
relating to pesncide use and application (Code
Agriculture Article, sees 5 201 through 5 211)

PLANT PROTECTION SECTION
William F Gimpel, Jr , Ph D , Chief
841 5920

The Plant Protection Section administers
programs relating to nursery inspection, plant
protection and quarantine, integrated pest manage
ment, and nuisance bird control The Section also
oversees programs for forest pest management, cer
nfied plant production, inspection and registration
of honey bee colonies, and implementation of the
Interstate Pest Control Compact
The Section serves as the State's authority on
plant pests and agricultural quarantines, and
provides liaison for the Department with other
State and federal regulatory officials (Code Agricul-
ture Article, sees 5-301 through 5-313, 5 501
through 5-507, 5-701 through 5-716, 5-801
through 5-805)

STATE CHEMIST SECTION
Warren R Bontoyan, State Chemist
841-2721

The office of State Agricultural Chemist was
created in 1847 to help farmers rejuvenate worn-
out tobacco land (Chapter 249, Acts of 1847) The
Chemist analyzed soil throughout the State as well
as marl and other mineral or vegetable deposits
which might be applied as fertilizers, and lectured
and publicized his findings During the guano
boom of the 1840's and 1850's, a Guano Inspector
also analyzed all guano imported through Bal-
timore to ensure that farmers got that for which
they paid Modern equivalents of such duties are
earned out by the State Chemist Section
Formerly under the Office of Animal Health and
Consumer Services, the State Chemist Section was
transferred to the Office of Plant Industries and
Resource Conservation in 1987 The Stare Chemist
Section samples and chemically tests and analyzes
commercial fertilizers, feeds, pesticides, soil con-
ditioners, and liming materials sold in the State The
Section registers and examines the labels of these
products as well The purpose is to determine if the
products conform to standards established under
Maryland laws governing quality, contents, and
labeling Measures are taken to protect the con-
sumer and the dealer from unscrupulous or careless
manufacturers