How concerned is New York about the potential of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) invading that state? So much that, according to this press release from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, they're sending a team of foresters and horticultural inspectors down to Maryland to help survey ash trees for beetle infestations. While they are helping Maryland, the New Yorkers will also be gaining valuable experience in dealing with the EAB should it ever be detected in their home state. Reminds me of the way disaster response teams get sent out from across the country to deal with hurricanes and floods.
1 comment:
New York already has Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis. The first ALB in the United States was found in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in August 1996. NYC has an effective ALB program, with lots of public education, rules about disposal of woody material, and so on.
Hopefully, NY will be able to learn what measures are effective against EAB. The last thing we need is another invasion.
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