YAKIMA -- Saying a major piece of the Valley's economy could be at risk without action, fruit growers Tuesday favored a proposal to impose an assessment on all parcels in Yakima County to control fruit-damaging pests.

The proposal, to be submitted to county commissioners as early as next week, would impose $1 per year on every land parcel in the county and up to $1.50 on each of the more than 67,000 acres of commercial fruit production in the county.

Commissioners will make the final decision whether to impose the fee and then in what amount.

The assessment, likely to be included in annual property tax bills each February, would generate more than $200,000 a year to control two key pests in abandoned orchards and backyard trees: codling moth and apple maggot.

The pests threaten loss of markets to Taiwan and elsewhere should live pests be found. Shipments of Fuji apples to Taiwan is a $70 million market for Washington growers.

Before a hearing by the county's Horticulture Pest and Disease Board Tuesday in the county courthouse, growers said the assessments are a fair way to maintain markets because much of the threat comes from fruit trees in backyards.

About 10 people attended the hearing. No one spoke against the proposal.

The use of softer, targeted pest-control programs like mating disruption and urban encroachment into traditional farm land is increasing the threat to commercial orchards, said George Allan of Allen Bros., a Naches-based grower and packer.

He said control costs are higher in the Upper Valley than elsewhere because of the suburban inroads.

"You can't protect ag land in the Upper Valley without this component," Allan told the newly constituted board.

Longtime Upper Valley grower Cragg Gilbert , chairman of the Washington Apple Commission, agreed pest control is a bigger problem in the Upper Valley.

"If we are going to keep the industry in this area, we have to take care of the problem, especially the backyard trees," he said.

Grandview grower Jack Watson, a retired Benton County extension agent and chairman of the pest board, said the funding would provide enough money to aggressively pursue unsprayed trees that generate pests.

The board is reviewing applications for a full-time inspector who will work on eliminating infested trees in backyards and elsewhere. Previously, a local consultant investigated pest-board complaints on a part-time basis.

State law authorizes pest boards to tackle pest problems, spray abandoned orchards and place a lien against the property for payment.

For years, the county pest board operated on about $22,000 in contributions from general county tax dollars. Industry representatives are pursuing the assessment and a renewed pest board to provide adequate funding to deal with pests.

Neighboring Benton County uses a similar funding mechanism -- $1.50 collected from every county parcel -- to finance its pest board. Chelan and Douglas counties still rely on general tax dollars but receive more funding than has been made available by Yakima County commissioners.

Mike Bush, a Yakima County tree-fruit extension agent and a member of the board, said the board has received interim financing of about $120,000 from the state Agriculture Department to finance the pest board's activities this year until the assessment funds become available.

The state funds are from the program to monitor and control apple maggots.

* Reporter David Lester can be reached at 577-7674 or dlester@yakimaherald.com.