plant pests, pest management, and pesticides. The
Office also coordinates these programs with local,
State and federal officials. In addition, the Office
manages cooperative agreements with local,
county, State and federal agencies.
Under the Office are seven sections: Forest Pest
Management, Mosquito Control, Pesticide Regu-
lation, Plant Protection, State Chemist, Turf and
Seed, and Weed Control.

FOREST PEST MANAGEMENT SECTION
Robert H. Tichenor, Jr., Chief
(410) 841-5922

The Forest Pest Management Section was formed
from the Gypsy Moth Control Section in 1987. The
Section protects forests by eradicating or controlling
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 ar-
eas. 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 con-
tinues threatening unprotected trees.
The Cooperative Gypsy Moth Suppression Pro-
gram works to manage the moth. Coordinated by
the Forest Pest Management Section, the Program
is a joint effort by local and State agencies and the
U.S. Forest Service. Branch offices of the Forest
Pest Management Section are located in Bel Air,
Cheltenham, Cumberland, Denton, and Frederick.

MOSQUITO CONTROL SECTION
Cyrus R. Lesser, Chief
(410) 841-5870

The Mosquito Control Section provides statewide
mosquito control services through a cooperatively
funded program. Branch offices are located in River-
dale, Salisbury, and Leonardtown. Environmentally
compatible methods of pest management are used to
control mosquitoes. In addition to implementing
control measures, the Section monitors the environ-
mental impact of the program, develops new control
methods, and conducts epidemiological investiga-
tions of mosquito-borne diseases (Code Agriculture
Article, secs. 5-401 through 5-405).

PESTICIDE REGULATION SECTION
Mary Ellen Setting, Chief
(410) 841-5710

Administration of the Pesticide Applicators Law
began in 1973 under the Division of Entomology.
By 1975, the work continued under the Pest Man-
agement Section. A separate Pesticide Applicators
Law Section was formed in 1980 and became the
Pesticide Regulation Section in 1987.

The Section regulates the use of pesticides in
Maryland. It licenses businesses engaged in com-
mercial application of pesticides, trains and certifies
commercial and private pesticide applicators, and
enforces the Pesticide Applicators Law and Regu-
lations. The Section also provides technical advice
on the use of pesticides.
The Chief is the State's authority on matters
relating to pesticide use and application (Code
Agriculture Article, secs. 5-201 through 5-211).

PLANT PROTECTION SECTION
William F. Gimpel. Jr., Ph.D., Chief
(410) 841-5920

The Plant Protection Section administers pro-
grams for nursery inspection, plant protection and
quarantine, integrated pest management, and nui-
sance bird control. The Section also oversees pro-
grams for certified plant production, inspection and
registration of honey bee colonies, and implemen-
tation of the Interstate Pest Control Compact.
The Section serves as the State's authority on
plant pests and agricultural quarantines and as liai-
son for the Department with other State and federal
regulatory agencies (Code Agriculture Article, secs.
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
(410) 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 ana-
lyzed 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 1840s and 1850s, a
Guano Inspector also analyzed all guano imported
through Baltimore to ensure that farmers got that for
which they paid. Modern equivalents of such duties are
carried out by the State Chemist Section.
The State Chemist Section began under the
Office of Animal Health and Consumer Services
and moved in 1987 to the Office of Plant Industries
and Resource Conservation (now Plant Industries
and Pest Management). The Section samples and
chemically tests and analizes commercial fertilizers,
feeds, pesticides, soil conditioners, and liming ma-
terials sold in the State. The Section registers and
examines the labels of these products as well. It
determines if products conform to standards estab-
lished under Maryland laws governing quality, con-
tents, and labeling. These measures protect the
consumer and the dealer from unscrupulous or
careless manufacturers.
The Section cooperates with the U.S. Food and
Drug Admimstranon in the inspection of feed manu-