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In California, gasoline consumption declined 2.7 percent in March and declined 0.1 percent in the first quarter. Diesel fuel consumption declined 6.9 percent in March and declined 5.3 percent in the first quarter.
“It appears that higher gasoline prices, which averaged $4 a gallon in March, had an impact on consumer behavior causing the decline in consumption,” said First District Board Member Betty T. Yee.
In March, gasoline consumption decreased 2.7 percent to 1.24 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 1.27 billion gallons of gasoline in March last year.
In California, the average price of a gallon of gasoline rose 90 cents to $4 in March, a 29 percent increase compared to the average price of $3.10 per gallon of gasoline last year in March.
Nationally, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was up 79 cents to $3.62 per gallon in March, a 28 percent increase over the average price of a gallon of gasoline of $2.82 in March last year.
Gasoline consumption in the first quarter declined 0.1 percent with a total of 3.57 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 3.58 billion gallons of gasoline in the first quarter last year.
In California, the average price of gasoline per gallon rose 60 cents to $3.66 in the first quarter, a 20 percent increase over last year’s average price of $3.05 per gallon in the first quarter.
Nationally, the average price of gasoline rose 58 cents to $3.34 in the first quarter, a 21 percent increase over last year’s average price of $2.76 per gallon of gasoline in the first quarter.
In March, diesel consumption totaled 218.7 million gallons, a decrease of 6.9 percent compared to the total of 234.9 million gallons of diesel in March last year.
In California, the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel was up $1.13 to $4.19 per gallon in March, a 37 percent increase over the average price of a gallon of diesel of $3.06 last March.
Nationally, the average price of a gallon of diesel was up 99 cents to $3.91 in March, a 34 percent increase over the average price of a gallon of diesel of $2.92 last March.
Diesel consumption in the first quarter decreased 5.3 percent to 586 million gallons compared to 619 million gallons in the first quarter last year.
In California, the average price of diesel fuel in the first quarter rose 85 cents to $3.85, a 28 percent increase compared to $3.00 price per gallon of diesel last year in the first quarter.
Nationally, the average price of diesel fuel in the first quarter was $3.63, a 27 percent increase over the last year’s first quarter average price of $2.85 per gallon of diesel.
In March, diesel consumption would have been higher were it not for the impact of an unusually large refund related to audits.
Gasoline and diesel fuel figures are net consumption that includes the State Board of Equalization’s audit assessments, refunds, amended and late tax returns and the State Controller’s Office refunds.
The State Board of Equalization is able to monitor gallons through tax receipts paid by fuel distributors in California. Figures for April are scheduled to be available at the end of July.
To see all monthly, quarterly and annual reports, visit www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/spftrpts.htm.
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“These tiny wasps are harmless to people and pets, but they have a big appetite for the eggs of light brown apple moths,” said California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “These kinds of pest control measures are the result of CDFA’s continuing commitment to the principles of integrated pest management (IPM). It’s a thoughtful approach that selects management options to achieve results while minimizing detrimental impacts.”
The pale yellow wasps, known to scientists as Trichogramma platneri and Trichogramma pretiosum, are native to California.
CDFA plans to augment the wasp populations in areas where LBAM infestations have recently been detected. Crews will place small cards with the wasp pupae on outdoor plants in the infested neighborhoods.
When the adults Trichogramma emerge, they will seek out LBAM egg masses in the area and lay their own eggs inside the LBAM eggs, eventually killing the developing LBAM when the wasp larvae emerge.
The initial sites chosen for this project are small LBAM-infested areas in San Luis Obispo and Sacramento counties. Placement of the wasp pupae is scheduled to begin in July.
Public meetings were held locally to inform residents of the plans, and residents will be contacted individually by crews as the wasp cards are placed.
“CDFA has a long history of employing biological controls such as these tiny wasps,” said Secretary Ross. “We’ve been using them for many years to help protect California’s grapevines from the glassy-winged sharpshooter, for example.”
The LBAM is native to Australia and is known to damage crops as well as trees and plants found in urban landscapes, parks and the natural environment. California is the only known infested area in the continental U.S.
Further information about the LBAM and CDFA’s integrated pest management efforts to control it is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/lbam.
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