The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (District) will host a Forest Pest Symposium to highlight bad bugs that are invasive to the Adirondacks on April 22, 8:30 AM – 1:15 PM.  Landowners, supervisors, and outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to attend, and will learn identification, impacts, and how partners are slowing the spread of emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and spotted lanternfly.

Experts will share their work, success stories, and detail simple steps that anyone can take to combat emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and spotted lanternfly.  These invasive insects threaten the Adirondacks’ natural resources and tourism industry.  Early detection and rapid response are crucial to stopping the spread of these invaders that can harm forests, stream corridors, hiking trails, and agriculture.

Presentations will be given by the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, New York State Department of environmental Conservation, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Franklin, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

To register for the virtual Forest Pest Symposium and to check out the agenda, visit the District’s website or call 518-548-3991.

The District has been working to manage and promote the wise use of natural resources in Hamilton County since 1965.

Hemlock woolly adelgid (pictured above), emerald ash borer, and spotted lanternfly are three bad bugs that will be highlighted during the Forest Pest Symposium on April 22. Photo by Michael Montgomery, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org.