Just before the end of the year, President George Bush signed a massive $555 billion spending bill, which includes $36.4 million for five projects of interest to Napa County.

On Dec. 27, a day after Bush signed the spending bill, Anne Warden, communications director for U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said the five projects remained in the appropriations bill, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 19.

The bill includes no funding for St. Helena’s flood project, which was authorized to receive up to $19 million in federal money by the Water Resources Development Act passed in November.

“The priorities of the federal budget over the past seven years have been completely out of touch with the needs of American families. This spending bill invests in areas that will improve the lives of every American, such as education, health care, the environment and critical infrastructure projects,” Thompson said.

“Unfortunately, this bill also includes billions more for the war in Iraq — a war that has already cost our country $500 billion,” said Thompson. “I am extremely frustrated that we continue to fund the president’s ill-advised war without any plans for bringing our troops home.”

“However, I am proud that I was able to secure funding through the appropriations process for several local priorities,” added Thompson.

These priorities include:

• Pierce’s Disease, Research and Control — $28.438 million: Pierce’s Disease is a harmful plant virus that is spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter. In the late 1990s, this pest was responsible for the complete destruction of more than 1,000 acres of grapevines in Temecula that cost growers and the California economy tens of millions of dollars. It is currently considered the biggest threat to wine grape and tree crops in California. This funding will be allocated to plant inspection programs and viticulture research institutions. Pierce’s Disease is considered the biggest threat to wine grape and tree crops in California.

• Sudden Oak Death, Research and Control — $5.313 million: Sudden Oak Death is a fungus-like pathogen that has decimated oak trees, and can even infect other plant species like California’s prized redwoods. This disease has stricken at least 12 of California’s counties and has spread to the Pacific Northwest. This funding will be allocated to the research, eradication and control of this pathogen.

• Viticulture and Tree Crop Research — $1.870 million: This funding will support the planning and construction of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agriculture Research Service (ARS) facility for advanced viticulture and tree crop research, which will be located at UC Davis.

• Olive Fruit Fly, Research and Control — $743,000: The Olive Fruit Fly is the world’s most disastrous olive pest and has infested thousands of acres of California’s olive groves, jeopardizing the state’s vital olive oil and table olive industries.

• Napa River dredging — $230,000: Timely dredging of the Napa River not only makes navigation safer, but the dredged materials also serve local environmental needs. For instance, the dredged material from the Napa River is used for restoration of Cargill Salt Ponds.

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