U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., are urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to provide emergency funding to the state to combat the threat of the glassy-winged sharpshooter. The invasive pest was recently found on grapevines sold at Costco stores in Sacramento County and other counties throughout the state and poses a critical threat to California’s wine industry.

In a June 16 letter, the U.S. senators and 12 House members, including Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., asked the USDA for the immediate release of $32.2 million to “support efforts to contain and eradicate the pest.” The funds would come from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a funding initiative through the federal agency, and would go toward tracing, surveying and trapping response programs for the next three years.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter can spread Pierce’s Disease, which kills grapevines, and poses significant risks for California’s wine and table grapes. The pest does not pose a threat to humans or animals. With wine consumption at historic lows, the wine industry is already facing significant challenges. Some grape growers and winemakers are shutting their doors because they can’t afford to be in the business anymore. The leaf-hopping insect destroyed more than 1,000 acres of grapevines in Northern California from 1994 to 2008, causing $30 million in damage, according to a California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The infected grapevines discovered in May came from Burchell Nursery, Inc., located in Fresno County, officials said. Infected vines were sold in at least 38 counties in the state, the lawmakers wrote in their June letter.

“The wine, winegrape, and table grape industries are a highlight of American agriculture, and your support during this challenging time will ensure U.S. wine and table grapes can continue to compete in the global market,” the congressional lawmakers wrote to Rollins.

The wine and grape industries are billion-dollar enterprises in California, with the state producing 99% of all table grapes grown in the U.S. If unaddressed, the lawmakers said that the glassy-winged sharpshooter could cost the state $104 million annually.

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