The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture’s Spruce Budworm Early Intervention Control Program will be active along parts of Western Newfoundland and the Northern Peninsula this summer, subject to insect development and weather. Spruce budworm is a destructive forest insect capable of causing widespread defoliation leading to tree mortality and growth losses. Aerial treatments will take place on forest land located south of the Bay of Islands, east of Gros Morne National Park extending to the Baie Verte area, north of Gros Morne National Park up to the Plum Point area, and the Roddickton-Bide Arm area. Up to 90,000 hectares of forest is scheduled to be protected using one or more applications of the biological control agent Btk, which has been approved for use by the Health Canada – Pest Management Regulatory Agency.