Posts Tagged ‘Invasive Species’

Thursday, February 9, 2017

A Moffitt Beach Campground Invasive Species Survey

Tom Colarusso and I teamed up for an invasive insect forest survey on a sunny, warm January day.  Tom is a Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  We survey one campground a year for invasive insects, and his expertise has fueled my understanding of these hungry bugs.

We headed to Moffitt Beach Campground to check trees for hungry bugs like Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), emerald ash borer (EAB), and hemlock woolly Adelgid (HWA). » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Seminar Set For Warrensburg

hemlock woody adelgidOn Thursday, February 9th, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County will host a seminar on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.

Mark Whitmore of Cornell University one of the foremost authorities on the wooly adelgid will give a one-and-a-half-hour presentation starting at 10 am at the Cooperative Extension Education Center. » Continue Reading.


Monday, December 19, 2016

Enlarged Northway Adirondack Welcome Center Planned

Northway Rest Area Adirondack Welcome Center DOT IllustrationThe state intends to break ground this spring for an enlarged Adirondack Welcome Center along the northbound lanes of Northway (I-87) just south of Glens Falls. The work will add to an existing rest area just south of Exit 18 near Big Boom Road and Hudson River Park. People driving north reach the rest area just after crossing the Hudson River into Warren County.

The expanded center is expected to have kiosks, photographs of the Adirondack Park, an electric-vehicle charging station, a market selling local food and beverages, and a boat-wash station for removing invasive species. It is scheduled for completion late this year or in early 2018.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, December 5, 2016

Invasive Species: House Sparrows in Winter

house sparrowHouse sparrows – those little brown and gray birds that flash mob the bird feeder – are common and easy to see. They’re quarrelsome, noisy, and when they’re on the ground, they move in vigorous hops that remind me of popcorn popping out of a pan.

They’re also an invasive species, scavengers that have hitched their wagons to humans, and at least on this continent, are having a very successful ride. Our farms, lawns, and grocery store parking lots provide all kinds of year-round foraging for these birds, and our structures provide them shelter. From gutter pipes to the bulb rims of traffic lights, house sparrows know how to make themselves at home in human-dominated settings, regardless of whether humans want them there. » Continue Reading.


Monday, November 7, 2016

Oak Wilt Detected in Canandaigua

DEC LogoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that oak wilt, a tree fungus that causes disease in oak trees, has been detected in Canandaigua, Ontario County.

This is the third location in New York State where oak wilt has been confirmed and the second location discovered in 2016. The disease was confirmed in Islip earlier this year and had previously been found in Glenville in 2008 and 2013. » Continue Reading.


Monday, October 3, 2016

State’s Newest Snowmobile Trail Infested with Invasive Species

Ragweed infested snowmobile trail near Lake Harris This summer Protect the Adirondacks was in near constant legal skirmishes with the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and Department of Environmental Conservation over tree cutting to build the newest snowmobile trail from Newcomb to Minerva. We stopped the state from tree cutting for most of the summer, and all of September, and we’ll be in court again in October.

This trail requires cutting over 15,000 trees and extensive grading with heavy machinery to widen and flatten a 9-12 foot wide road-like corridor. Our work has kept over 8,500 trees standing tall in the forest. Our argument is, in essence, that the Cuomo Administration is building a network of new roads through the “forever wild” Forest Preserve. The land cleared to build the trail from Newcomb to Minerva is between 13-17 acres. We believe that the total number of trees being cut, the land being cleared, and the vast alteration to the landscape to build these trails violates Article 14, Section 1, the forever wild provision of the State Constitution. » Continue Reading.


Friday, August 26, 2016

Adirondack Aquatic Invasives Program Administrator Sought

invcheckboatNew York State is seeking proposals for an entity to administer the Adirondack Park Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Spread Prevention Program. The program is expected to provide support to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species throughout Adirondacks through a network of boat stewards and decontamination stations.

With more than 2,300 lakes and ponds, 1,500 miles of rivers, and 30,000 miles of brooks and streams, the Adirondack region is particularly vulnerable to the introduction of AIS. Once established, species such as zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil can spread rapidly through connecting waterways or by “hitchhiking” on recreational boat equipment, including propellers, trailers, rudders, and motors. Strategically placed boat stewards will help prevent the spread of AIS by educating boaters on how to properly identify and remove AIS, and performing voluntary boat and equipment inspections. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, August 9, 2016

A Report From The Adirondack Lakes Alliance Symposium

Raquette Lake Dave GibsonAt Paul Smith’s College in late July, the Adirondack Lakes Alliance hosted their second Lake and River Symposium, aiming to educate lake and river associations in watershed and lake/river management. Issues addressed included invasive species, road salt, and stormwater runoff. One clear theme throughout the event was we should be encouraged, as much progress has been made in a short period of time, however, much remains to be done to protect our water resources.

There were several eye opening presentations by many prominent leaders in their area of expertise. Cathy Dove, President of Paul Smith’s College, and Ed Griesmer, Executive Director of the ALA, welcomed us with some opening remarks. Hilary Smith, the Invasive Species Coordinator for the US Department of the Interior, gave us a broad view of the invasive species problems across the country as well as insight into how the Department of the Interior functions to tackle problems. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, July 21, 2016

Forest Pests Could Change Adirondack Forests

Hemlock woolly adelgidAdirondack forests could see major changes in the coming decades as a result of forest pests, according to experts who attended a forest pest summit in North Creek recently.

Both the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer have been found south of the Adirondack Park, and the balsam woolly adelgid appears to be causing more damage to balsam firs inside the Blue Line in recent years. » Continue Reading.


Monday, July 11, 2016

Invasive Species Awareness Week Events Underway

Invasive Species Awareness Week eventsNew York State’s third annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is taking place through July 16th.

The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and its partners have organized a lineup of free invasive species related events to be held during Invasives Week for all ages and interests. » Continue Reading.


Monday, July 11, 2016

Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Oneida County

emerald ash borerThe presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed for the first time in Oneida County by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). According to a press release issued by the Department, DEC staff discovered the presence of EAB in Rome, NY as a result of the regular monitoring efforts to detect the beetle.

The confirmation in Oneida County brings the number of New York counties with EAB to 35. In June it was announced that EAB had been found in Waterford, and Ballston Lake, in Saratoga County. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Adirondack Forest Pest Summit Planned For Monday

Hemlock woolly adelgidThe Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) are co-hosting an Adirondack Forest Pest Summit, a free conference meant to help raise awareness about invasive insects negatively affecting New York forests. The event will take place at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek from 10 am to 4 pm on Monday, July 11th.

Forest pests such as hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and Asian long-horned beetle have the potential to cause major environmental and economic damage to the Adirondack region. These forest invaders are often spread by accidental transfer of firewood or nursery stock from an infested area. Prevention, early detection, and rapid response are critical to successfully combating any invasive species. » Continue Reading.


Monday, July 4, 2016

Adirondack Boat Inspectors Find 284 Invasives In First Month

DataMonikaLaPlanteLakeGeo3005In its first month of operation, the 2016 Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Program intercepted 284 invasives while inspecting nearly 8,450 trailered boats at over 50 locations throughout the Adirondack region.

Some of these “close calls” took place on lakes that are not currently invaded by the species found. For example, zebra mussels and curly-leaf pondweed were found on boats attempting to launch into Long Lake and Upper Saranac Lake. Both Long Lake and Upper Saranac Lake have existing infestations of other AIS which lake associations and partner organizations have been spending millions of dollars to try and manage. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Great Lakes Research Focuses On Fisheries, Algal Blooms

Dr. Jacques RinchardThe Great Lakes Research Consortium has awarded $44,819.00 for research projects that will investigate vitamin B deficiency in Lake Ontario fish, analyze a dataset on harmful algal blooms in nearly 200 lakes in New York State, and test DNA-based barcoding as a way to more accurately analyze the Great Lakes food web.

The Great Lakes Research Consortium, based at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) in Syracuse, is awarding funds to The College at Brockport, Cornell University, the Upstate Freshwater Institute, and SUNY-ESF. Project collaborators include the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Federation of Lake Associations, and U.S. Geological Survey Lake Ontario Biological Field Station. » Continue Reading.


Friday, June 10, 2016

Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed In Saratoga County

emerald ash borerEmerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed for the first time in Saratoga County by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Capital-Mohawk Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) and the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

DEC staff and the CapMo PRISM coordinator verified the presence of EAB in Waterford, NY after a concerned landowner contacted the organization to report their discovery. Additionally, APHIS confirmed EAB in Ballston Lake as a result of the regular monitoring efforts to detect the beetle.

With the confirmation in Saratoga County, the number of New York counties with EAB has climbed to 34 according to a statement sent to the media by the DEC. A northern portion of Saratoga County lies within the Adirondack Park. » Continue Reading.



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