CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Wilson Names Panel for Whitefly Study

Gov. Pete Wilson has created an emergency panel of experts to coordinate research on the poinsettia whitefly, which has caused nearly $100 million in crop losses. Wilson said the panel will suggest actions growers can take to fight the pest and recommend any needed regulations or legislation. Henry Voss, director of the state Department of Agriculture, will serve as panel chairman. Earlier this year, Wilson declared a state of emergency in Imperial and Riverside counties, where the whitefly has ravaged a broad range of fruit and vegetable crops. Recently, the bug was discovered in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.