tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59413980694953755722024-03-05T14:27:38.078-05:00Invasive Species of Eastern USA BlogWelcome! This blog features the latest news about invasive species planning, management, prevention, early detection, rapid response, GIS/GPS, public policy, funding, control, and restoration. The news is updated several times every week. If you want to stay current with invasives news, but don't have time to search the Internet every day, this blog may be for you. There is a place at the end of each posting to leave your comments. Thank you for visiting!Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-28126847175098676662014-03-17T10:40:00.000-04:002014-03-17T10:56:03.358-04:00<h1 class="story-heading" itemprop="headline">
Science Takes On a Silent Invader</h1>
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<span class="byline" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">By <span class="byline-author" data-byline-name="ROBERT H. BOYLE" itemprop="name">ROBERT H. BOYLE</span></span><br />
<time class="dateline" datetime="2014-02-24"></time>
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The New York Times</div>
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Since
they arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, two species of mussels
the size of pistachios have spread to hundreds of lakes and rivers in 34
states and have done vast economic and ecological damage.</div>
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These <a href="http://www.wildlifeforever.org/invasive-species/invasive-species-home-theater/" title="Film about the mussels.">silent invaders</a>, the <a href="http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?speciesid=95" title="U.S.G.S. page.">quagga</a> and <a href="http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=5" title="U.S.G.S. page.">zebra</a> mussels, have disrupted ecosystems by devouring <a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/phyto.html" title="NOAA article.">phytoplankton</a>,
the foundation of the aquatic food web, and have clogged the water
intakes and pipes of cities and towns, power plants, factories and even
irrigated golf courses.</div>
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Now the mussels may have met their match: Daniel P. Molloy, an <a href="http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/staff/details.cfm?staffID=67" title="Dr. Molloy’s web page.">emeritus biologist</a> at the New York State Museum in Albany and a self-described “Bronx boy who became fascinated by things living in water.”...</div>
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Leading a team at the museum’s Cambridge Field Research Laboratory in upstate New York, he discovered a bacterium, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23295683" title="Abstract of paper on the bacterium.">Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CL145A</a>, that kills the mussels but appears to have <a href="http://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi/2013/1/MBI_2013_1_Molloy_etal.pdf" title="Study text.">little or no effect on other organisms</a>. </div>
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As a result, New York State has awarded a license to <a href="http://www.marronebioinnovations.com/" title="Company website.">Marrone Bio Innovations</a>,
a company in Davis, Calif., to develop a commercial formulation of the
bacterium. The product, Zequanox, has been undergoing tests for several
years, with promising results. (Dr. Molloy has no financial ties to the
company.)</div>
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Zequanox
killed more than 90 percent of the mussels in a test using tanks of
water from Lake Carlos in Minnesota, said James A. Luoma, a research
biologist with the United States Geological Survey in La Crosse, Wis. A
control group of freshwater mussels, unionids from the Black River in
Wisconsin, were unharmed. ...</div>
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/science/science-takes-on-a-silent-invader.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20140225&_r=1">link</a>.<br />
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Photo by <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">L. Mann/APO Sleepy Hollow Lake. </span></div>
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Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-59614131107858640112014-01-20T11:08:00.004-05:002014-01-20T11:08:50.618-05:00<h3>
New York State DEC wants mute swans killed or captured by 2025 </h3>
By Cyndi Murray<br />
Riverhead News Review<br />
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<a href="http://media.timesreview.com.s3.amazonaws.com/suffolktimes/files/dsc_03621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.timesreview.com.s3.amazonaws.com/suffolktimes/files/dsc_03621.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Citing “aggressive behavior towards people” and “destruction of submerged aquatic vegetation,” the state Department of Environment Conservation has released a new plan to kill or capture all wild mute swans by 2025.<br />
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The DEC’s Management Plan for Mute Swans in New York State aims to reduce the population of mute swans, which has grown considerably in recent years on Long Island. ...<br />
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The DEC is accepting comments on the mute swan plan through Feb. 21. Mail your thoughts to NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife, Swan Management Plan, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2014/01/50710/dec-wants-mute-swans-killed-or-captured-by-2025/">link</a>.Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-70312780473587446862014-01-10T10:03:00.003-05:002014-01-10T10:16:27.351-05:00<h3>
The environmental, and economic, costs of invasive species</h3>
<h4>
Ignoring the impacts of ecosystem changes comes with a price tag </h4>
By Alexandra Pecci<br />
The New Hampshire Business Review<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nhbr.com/didemnum1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nhbr.com/didemnum1.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a>T<span class="dropcap"></span>he tunicate is a spineless marine animal
that’s better known by another name -- sea squirt, which sounds like a
cute little creature that might be the best friend of a cartoon mermaid.
But Larry Harris has a nickname for didemnum, one particular kind of
sea squirt that is anything but cute.<br />
<br />
"My term for it is the tunicate from hell,” says Harris, professor and
chair of the department of biological sciences at the University of New
Hampshire.<br />
<br />
That’s because didemnum grow in thick, sheet-like colonies that cover
moorings, pilings, float bottoms and anything else they can get a hold
of. In New Hampshire, it’s a serious marine pest.<br />
Didemnum is one of many non-native, invasive species that dominate the
coastal waters of New Hampshire and New England. Invasive marine species
like didemnum do more than simply take over their new environments.<br />
<br />
“It does have economic impacts,” Harris says. “Everything from clogging
intakes to cooling systems of water treatment plans to having a
negative impact on aquacultures.” ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.nhbr.com/January-10-2014/The-environmental-and-economic-costs-of-invasive-species/">link</a>.<br />
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<h3>
New York State DEC proposes regulatory changes to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species at boat launches</h3>
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By WBNG News<br />
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(WBNG Binghamton) The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing new regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species at DEC boat launches, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced.<br />
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The proposed regulatory changes require boaters to remove all visible
plants and animals from boats, trailers and associated equipment and to
drain boats before launching at or leaving a DEC boat launch and
waterway access.<br />
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DEC will accept public comments on the proposal through
February 24, 2014. Comments on the proposed regulations can be sent via
e-mail to fishregs@gw.dec.state.ny.us, or mailed to Edward Woltmann, New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of
Fisheries, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.wbng.com/news/state/DEC-proposes-regulatory-changes-to-prevent-the-introduction-of-aquatic-invasive-species-at-boat-launches-239456801.html">link</a>.Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-89579937768672356062014-01-06T18:24:00.001-05:002014-01-10T10:04:36.760-05:00<h3>
Extreme cold may wipe out high percentage emerald ash borer larvae</h3>
By Paul Huttner<br />
Minnesota Public Radio<br />
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Here’s one resident who may welcome the extreme cold wave headed for Minnesota. Your local ash tree.<br />
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The extreme temperatures moving in with Sunday’s arctic blast may kill off a significant percentage of <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/eab/index.html">emerald ash borer</a> larvae, according to one of the premier forestry experts in Minnesota.<br />
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<br />
Read the full story at <a href="http://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/2014/01/extreme-cold-may-wipe-out-high-percentage-emerald-ash-borer-larvae/">link</a>. <br />
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<br />Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-17254300972358466152013-11-12T16:22:00.004-05:002013-11-12T16:24:12.634-05:00<h3>
State cracks down on harmful invasive species </h3>
November 3, 2013<br />
By JOAN GRALLA at
Newsday<br />
<br />
New York State is cracking down on harmful invasive species after years of delays, adding scores to its list of banned plants, insects and animals.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien./fact/img/beth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien./fact/img/beth1.jpg" width="204" /></a>Under the state plan, 115 species would be outlawed -- about 10 times the current number. Another 29 would be subject to restrictions.<br />
<br />
The Department of Environmental Conservation quietly posted the expanded list on its website late last month, a move that was hailed as overdue by environmentalists and decried as an overreach by commercial nurseries, including some on Long Island. ...<br />
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Under the state law, anyone who imports, ships, or introduces or sells banned invasives can be fined as much as $250. For repeated violations by professionals, the top fine is $2,000 -- and they could jeopardize their licenses or permits.
...<br />
<br />
A 60-day comment period ends Dec. 23. The rules take effect six months after they are finalized.<br />
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Read the full story at: <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/state-cracks-down-on-harmful-invasive-species-1.6371679">link</a>.<br />
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---------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-47096254173768067822013-04-17T12:17:00.000-04:002013-04-17T12:17:55.256-04:00<h4>
Invasive Kudzu Bugs May Pose Greater Threat Than Previously Thought</h4>
<br />
www.ScienceDaily.com<br />
April 15, 2013<br />
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The invasive kudzu bug has the potential to be a major agricultural pest, causing significant damage to economically important soybean crops. Conventional wisdom has held that the insect pests will be limited to areas in the southern United States, but new research from North Carolina State University shows that they may be able to expand into other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
Kudzu bugs (<i>Megacopta cribraria</i>) are native to Asia, and were first detected in the U.S. in Georgia in 2009. They have since expanded their territory as far north as Virginia. The bugs have an interesting life cycle, which has been thought to be a limiting factor on far they can spread.<br />
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Eggs laid in the spring hatch into a first generation, which we'll call "Generation A." The immature bugs of Generation A normally feed on kudzu plants until they reach adulthood, when they have been known to move into commercial soybean fields. These mature adults lay eggs that hatch into Generation B during the summer months. Generation B kudzu bugs can feed on soybean crops during both their immature and adult life stages, causing significant crop damage.
Because the immature Generation A kudzu bugs have only been seen to feed on kudzu, researchers thought that the pest would not be able to migrate to northern and western parts of the United States, where kudzu doesn't grow. But now it's not so clear. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130415124912.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fplants_animals%2Finvasive_species+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Plants+%26+Animals+News+--+Invasive+Species%29">link</a>
Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-41522011845872154202013-03-11T14:49:00.002-04:002013-03-11T15:12:43.783-04:00<h4>
Invasive species may be key to understanding death of hundreds of loons</h4>
by <a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/about/people/mpr_people_display.php?aut_id=31036">Dan Kraker</a>, Minnesota Public Radio<br />
<br />
DULUTH, Minn. — Spring is in the air, with daylight savings taking effect on Sunday, and loons will begin their migration back to the north woods in less than a month. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78RJoOC0rZq8SSs7IsUqNEab8HcGCN_-iqrKq4XNf6pMmMe8w3RccTxfN593bTXxYoVeod70r9zmlnDEMpRG-SZU8dfW_VzLjJI8Eca9-XnwwoT-r0UgB8pV5lOHk5FGC4i5v0gl3U_8S/s1600/common_loon_jmkosciw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78RJoOC0rZq8SSs7IsUqNEab8HcGCN_-iqrKq4XNf6pMmMe8w3RccTxfN593bTXxYoVeod70r9zmlnDEMpRG-SZU8dfW_VzLjJI8Eca9-XnwwoT-r0UgB8pV5lOHk5FGC4i5v0gl3U_8S/s200/common_loon_jmkosciw.jpg" width="200" /></a>Loons, of course, are a cultural and natural icon, not only in Minnesota but across the Great Lakes states. But last fall, nearly 900 loons died while migrating south across Lake Michigan, probably more. And it's likely at least some were from Minnesota. <br />
<br />
Scientists are not sure what killed the loons, but they suspect that invasive species may be to blame. <br />
<br />
In October, Lynette Grimes was hiking toward Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, outside Traverse City, Mich. The 52-year-old from the nearby town of Benzonia has walked the beaches there for years. But she wasn't prepared for what she saw. ...<br />
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The scientists offered an idea about what might have happened: Invasive zebra and quagga mussels filter the water so it's incredibly clear, allowing an algae called cladophora to grow in huge amounts. Big storms churn up the algae, which settles to the lake bottom and rots. That creates an environment without any oxygen, an ideal home for bacteria that produces a deadly toxin called Type E botulism. That botulism is ingested by invertebrates, tiny worms and freshwater shrimp. And then it works its way up the food chain. They are eaten by fish, including the invasive round goby, which are then eaten by diving birds like loons. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/03/09/environment/invasive-species-may-be-killing-loons">link</a>.<br />
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Image: J.M. KosciwBill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-10406349160335059242013-03-04T13:05:00.002-05:002013-03-04T13:16:07.353-05:00<h4>
<a href="http://cmsimg.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B2&Date=20130302&Category=FEATURES08&ArtNo=303020026&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Green-Space-Myths-lie-root-native-exotic-plants" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://cmsimg.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B2&Date=20130302&Category=FEATURES08&ArtNo=303020026&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Green-Space-Myths-lie-root-native-exotic-plants" width="200" /></a>
Myths lie at root of native, exotic plants</h4>
Written by<br />
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens<br />
<br />
Amur honeysuckle, burning bush, ‘Bradford’ pear ... a few poster
children for the invasive exotic plant debate. The debate has raged for
decades. But it is often myth that fuels the dissension.<br />
<br />
But before we dispel some myths, how about a few definitions?<br />
<br />
Continue reading at <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130302/FEATURES08/303020026/Green-Space-Myths-lie-root-native-exotic-plants?nclick_check=1">link.</a><br />
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<h4>
Conn. trying to contain tree-eating borer</h4>
By QUANNAH LEONARD, Republican-American of Waterbury<br />
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<span class="dateline">MIDDLEBURY, Conn. — </span>Piles of ash bark
cushioned the feet of state workers inside a state garage on Middlebury
Road on a recent day. The men and women used draw knives to slowly peel
back bark on bolts of ash trees, looking for signs of a tiny green
beetle.<br />
<a href="http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/enpp/ento/images/eab_trunk_nickel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/enpp/ento/images/eab_trunk_nickel.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Their work began at the beginning of February, and will continue for
at least one more session this month. They want to determine just how
long and far the emerald ash borer has infested the woodlands of
Connecticut.<br />
<br />
The answers will help federal and state agencies, plus municipalities, work together to reduce the spread of this bug.<br />
<br />
With each strip of bark, the workers uncovered a pale canvas that can
potentially show a history of the highly mobile critter. They are
peering for a tell-tale sign — serpentine tunnels left by the larvae as
they eat.<br />
<br />
Last summer, the bug was first found in the Nutmeg state in Prospect.
Since then, it has been confirmed in Beacon Falls, Bethany, Naugatuck
and Waterbury. The critter is an invasive species native to Asia that
measures a half-inch long.<br />
<br />
The infestation threatens Connecticut's valuable stands of ash trees, and experts say could present a threat to public safety.<br />
<br />
Read the full article at <a href="http://www.wral.com/conn-trying-to-contain-tree-eating-borer/12164522/">link</a>.<br />
<br />Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-51451579575405970472013-02-26T09:20:00.001-05:002013-03-04T13:08:07.627-05:00<h4>
Invasive species threaten Wisconsin trees </h4>
<a href="http://www.ashborerinfo.com/images/ash_borer_id1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="http://www.ashborerinfo.com/images/ash_borer_id1.jpg" width="200" /></a>By Sarah Eucalano<br />
The Badger Herald<br />
<br />
Madison has begun testing trees for emerald ash borers, an invasive Chinese insect that has been devastating much of North America’s ash trees.<br />
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Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said around 25 percent of Madison’s trees are ash trees, adding it will cost the city millions in order to fully cover the incurable disease, which causes ash trees to slowly rot and die. ...<br />
<br />
Ken Raffa, a UW etymology professor, said the main emerald ash borer infestation is in Detroit and has been in the United States for 12 years. Having infested the southeastern part of Wisconsin, including parts of the Milwaukee area as well as areas surrounding the Mississippi River.<br />
<br />
Raffa said in China the insects do not kill healthy trees, but only sick or old trees that do not have defenses. He said China’s ash trees have good defenses against emerald ash borers, which North American ash trees do not have. “There is no evidence any of the ash trees in the eastern half of the United States having any resistance,” Raffa said. ...<br />
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Read the full article at <a href="http://badgerherald.com/news/2013/02/25/invasive_species_thr.php#">link</a>. <br />
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<h4>
Massachusetts Officials Announce Quarantine to Halt Spread of Emerald Ash Borer </h4>
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<a href="http://blogs.plimoth.org/rivenword/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/the-eab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="150" src="http://blogs.plimoth.org/rivenword/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/the-eab.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
DALTON, MA – Thursday, February 21, 2013 – Officials from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced today that a quarantine will be established in Berkshire County, in order to stop the spread of the invasive insect species Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This decision comes after extensive survey in the affected area and public hearings. <br />
<br />
The quarantine will take effect March 1, 2013. <br />
<br />
EAB was first detected in Massachusetts in Dalton in August of 2012. Massachusetts is the eighteenth state discovered to have EAB within its borders. ... <br />
<br />
The quarantine order means that certain products will be regulated from moving outside the regulated area, including all hardwood firewood (any piece of wood smaller than 48”), all ash nursery stock, and any ash lumber that has not been treated. Proper wood treatments include the removal of bark and half an inch of wood, dry kiln sterilization, fumigation, and heat treatments. <br />
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The State of New York recently added 22 new counties to their EAB quarantine, including counties that abut the Berkshire County border. This will allow wood to move from quarantined county to quarantined county, including moving regulated wood from Massachusetts to the mills that are just over the border in New York, relieving some of the financial pressure on the wood industry in Berkshire County.<br />
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Read the full article at <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/2013/feb21PR.pdf">pdf</a> .<br />
<br />Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-85022249489895072602013-02-25T14:05:00.002-05:002013-02-25T14:07:29.792-05:00<h4>
Quality Parks Master Naturalist Program Training in April</h4>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/a/qualityparks.org/qualityparks/quality-parks-master-naturalist/qpmn-east-end/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-20%20at%2010.02.56%20AM.png?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" src="https://sites.google.com/a/qualityparks.org/qualityparks/quality-parks-master-naturalist/qpmn-east-end/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-20%20at%2010.02.56%20AM.png?attredirects=0" /></a></div>
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Long Island, NY - The Quality Parks Master Naturalist (QPMN) program provides environmental training that builds natural history skills, recreational know how, and a heightened awareness and appreciation of the great outdoors. </div>
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The program encapsulates 45 hours of training and 20 hours of community service. The course curriculum includes: <br />
<ul>
<li>Long Island Explorer</li>
<li>Emergency Ready Naturalist</li>
<li>Invasive & Ecological Restoration</li>
<li>Trails & Greenways</li>
<li>Wetlands & Wildlife</li>
<li>Working Lands & Sustainability</li>
<li>Graduation</li>
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Form more information, visit <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/qualityparks.org/qualityparks/quality-parks-master-naturalist">link</a>.<br />
Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-27944967907378356592013-01-23T14:50:00.001-05:002013-01-23T14:58:45.614-05:00<h4>
New York DEC: All options will be considered in invasive species debate </h4>
<span class="pubdate">By John Alexander</span><br />
PostStar.com<br />
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LAKE GEORGE, NY -- There’s still life to the Lake George Park Commission’s proposal that could see a mandatory boat inspection and washing program encircle the lake, state officials said Tuesday. <br />
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Park Commission officials have spent months in negotiations with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office trying to garner state-level support for the proposed invasive-species fighting measure.<br />
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Park Commission members have regularly griped that DEC was uninterested in the conversations. But that’s suddenly changed as weekly three-way conversations are now under way. “All the options are on the table,” said DEC Region 5 Director Bob Stegemann, when asked if his agency supports boat washing or a less-restrictive alternative. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://poststar.com/news/local/dec-all-options-will-be-considered-in-invasive-species-debate/article_23e0e104-64c8-11e2-9761-001a4bcf887a.html">link</a>.<br />
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<h4>
Lake George Targets Invasive Species</h4>
Wall Street Journal<br />
Associated Press<br />
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LAKE GEORGE, N.Y.—State regulators are working on a long-term plan to protect Lake George from invasive species, possibly including mandatory boat inspections. <br />
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The Lake George Park Commission had been developing plans for inspections and washing, with a $40 fee. That plan is now on hold while the Department of Environmental Conservation drafts an environmental impact statement, seeks public input, and considers alternatives. <br />
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The 32-mile-long Adirondack lake already has some invasive species such as milfoil and Asian clams. The commission has programs to fight those species, including spreading plastic mats to smother them. <br />
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The state has agreed to provide $50,000 to expand a boat steward program, and $200,000 to fight Asian clams. Environmentalists say mandatory boat inspection and washing is the best way to prevent spread of invasive species. ...<br />
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Read the story at <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323485704578258342956103674.html">link</a>.<br />
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<br />Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-47388723525650075782012-12-29T21:48:00.001-05:002012-12-29T21:51:05.460-05:00<h4>
Density of Invasive Reed, <em>Phragmites australis</em>, Mapped in Great Lakes </h4>
<em>Phragmites australis</em>, an invasive species of plant called common reed, grows rapidly into dense stands of tall plants that pose an extreme threat to Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Early treatment is the key to controlling <em>Phragmites</em>. Scientists have mapped the U.S. coastline of all five Great Lakes using satellite technologies. The <em>Phragmites</em> map is the first of its kind. It is "a highly accurate data set that will allow national, regional and local managers to visualize the extent of <em>Phragmites</em> invasion in the Great Lakes and strategically plan efforts to manage existing populations and minimize new colonization." <br />
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Learn more at <a href="http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2012/12/density_of_inva.shtml?utm_source=feedburnerNational+Invasive+Species+Information+Center+-+What%27s+New&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nisic+%28National+Invasive+Species+Information+Center+-+What%27s+New%29">link</a>.Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-24561533617513255842012-12-19T09:49:00.002-05:002012-12-19T09:51:50.836-05:00<h4>
More Zebra Mussels Found in Upper Chesapeake Bay</h4>
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From Maryland Department of Natural Resources: <br />
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists found young zebra mussels attached to buoys off Havre de Grace on December 3. DNR is asking boaters and anglers to be on the lookout for this harmful, invasive mussel. <br />
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The biologists collected 20 live zebra mussels attached to the concrete anchor blocks for three channel marker buoys. DNR discovered the mussels when Captain Shawn Orr and the crew of DNR’s A.V. Sandusky pulled the buoys from the water for cleaning and winter storage. <br />
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“We know that these mussels are from this year’s spawn since these buoys and anchors were deployed this spring,” said Matt Ashton, a DNR biologist and mussel expert who helped collect the mussels. “We plan to check these and other buoys every fall, as part of DNR’s limited zebra mussel monitoring effort in the upper Bay area.” ... <br />
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DNR asks that people who live and work on the water keep an eye out for zebra mussels and call 410-260-8615 if they find anything suspicious. More information about zebra mussels can be found <a href="http://dnr.maryland.gov/irc/zebra/zmussel1.html">here</a>.<br />
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The non-native and invasive zebra mussel was first found in Maryland in late 2008 at two locations in the Susquehanna River: the Conowingo Dam and further upstream at Glen Cove Marina, Harford County. Sporadic sightings since then indicate establishment of a zebra mussel population in the lower river and downstream dispersal, but no apparent rapid increase in abundance. ... <br />
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For the full story visit <a href="http://www.daggerpress.com/2012/12/18/more-zebra-mussels-found-in-upper-chesapeake-bay-invasive-species-attached-to-bouys-off-havre-de-grace/">link</a>. Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-52549767520270754012012-12-12T10:04:00.001-05:002012-12-12T10:04:16.171-05:00<h4>
Southern Maine clams threatened by invasive species, warming climate </h4>
By Will Graff <br />
The Forecaster <br />
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FREEPORT, ME — Small, green crabs are wreaking havoc along the Harraseeket River, and could soon devour the soft-shell clam population into extinction. <br />
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As water temperatures continue to rise and the winters get warmer, experts and clammers say the crabs, which eat spat – clams in larval stage – combined with coastal acidification, could drive 1,800 licensed clammers out of work and drastically alter the ecosystem. <br />
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Chad Coffin, president of the Maine Clammers Association, said the crabs have essentially taken over two-thirds of the productive clam flats in the last two decades, eating the mussels and scallops along the way. The devastation of clams has accelerated in the last decade and the problem is only getting worse, he said. <br />
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Green crabs, originally from Japan, were first recorded on Long Island, N.Y., in the mid-1860s and weren't seen in Casco Bay until the early 1900s, Beal said. The green crab popualtions have been kept in check by severe cold snaps, Beal said, experienced frequently throughout the last century, allowing clams and other shellfish to recover. <br />
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But now, a warming climate has changed all that. Scientists fear the area might not have those same extended periods of cold experienced in previous decades, leading to larger and larger populations of green crabs, and as a result, the disappearance of clams. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2012/12/11/southern-maine-clams-threatened-invasive-species-w/143581">link</a>. <br />
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-75927181324191153362012-12-11T11:01:00.001-05:002012-12-12T09:52:38.079-05:00<h4>
New Pound Ridge, NY Program To Fight Invasive Plant Species </h4>
By Bob Dumas <br />
Pound Ridge Daily Voice <br />
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POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — A new initiative to fight the proliferation of invasive plants within the town has been formed between the Pound Ridge Conservation Board and the Henry Morgenthau Preserve of the Bedford Audubon Society. <br />
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The Invasives Project-Pound Ridge is a public/private task force formed to encourage and coordinate efforts to reduce existing infestations and to prevent new ones from occurring through scientific study, education, early detection and rapid response within Pound Ridge. <br />
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"You do not have to go far to see the damaging effects that uncontrolled invasive plants, such as oriental bittersweet, have on our area,” said Marilyn Shapiro-Lowell, chairman of the Henry Morgenthau Preserve. “Just drive along Route 172 near the Fox Lane campus: Whole woods have collapsed under the weight of oriental bittersweet vines during high winds from the hurricanes.” ... <br />
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The first public forum will be held Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Pound Ridge Library. The snow date is Jan. 14. A panel of speakers will discuss targeting certain species and management strategies. <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://poundridge.dailyvoice.com/news/new-pound-ridge-program-fight-invasive-plant-species">link</a>. <br />
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To Fight Invasive Species, Florida Makes It A Competition</h4>
By Thomas Andrew Gustafson<br />
WFSU <br />
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In South Florida, bagging some snakes could win you some money. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be cracking down on invasive pythons in South Florida in the New Year. The agency and its partners will be holding the 2013 Python Challenge to catch as many snakes as possible. <br />
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The first ever python challenge starts in January and runs until mid-February. It’ll focus on Burmese pythons and the person who catches the most wins 1,500 dollars. And Florida Fish and Wildlife Spokeswoman Carli Segelson says the Python Challenge is about invasive species education as much as it is a competition. ... <br />
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Segelson says if people have nonnative pets they can no longer care for; they should give them to the agency instead of releasing it into the wild. <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://news.wfsu.org/post/fight-invasive-species-florida-makes-it-competition">link</a>. Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-68847565636280640632012-12-07T12:18:00.001-05:002012-12-11T10:17:36.853-05:00<h3>
Beetles released to attack invasive species </h3>
By KEITH WHITCOMB JR. / Bennington Banner <br />
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POWNAL, VT -- About two millimeters long and appearing as black specks, the town's newest 379 residents are here to hopefully stay and perhaps eat a few unwelcome newcomers. <br />
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On Thursday, two people from the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation released nearly 400 <em>Laricobius nigrinus</em> (small black beetle) onto four hemlock trees on Mason Hill Road, near the Massachusetts state line and next to a tributary to the Hoosic River. Jim Esden, forestry specialist for the department, said he hopes the adult beetles will survive the winter and feed off the hemlock woolly adelgid, an aphid-like insect that has been spreading slowly northward and was reported in Pownal over the summer. <br />
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The adelgid is an invasive species and threatens the health of hemlock trees, said Esden. The small black beetle, a native of the Pacific northwest, eats nothing but adelgids and follows a similar life cycle, being active in the winter when it is not too cold and remaining largely dormant in the hot summer. Esden said chemicals can be used to kill adelgids, but biological controls have their advantages. <br />
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"Because this is a water supply area, we didn't want to use chemicals," Esden said. <br />
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The four hemlock trees sit off Mason Hill Road on property owned by Williamstown, Mass. Esden said the water source serves as an emergency supply for Williamstown, making the chemical option less than desirable. ... <br />
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Barbara Burns, forest health program manager for the department, placed about 100 beetles on each hemlock tree, which were selected for their health and adelgid infestation. She said the beetles need enough adelgids to eat, otherwise their population will not take hold. She said the beetles released Thursday were grown in a lab by Virginia Tech, Va., however their ancestors are from Idaho. They came in small tubes, roughly 100 beetles to a tube, and were gathered on white shreds of paper for placement onto each tree. <br />
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Esden said the beetles only eat adelgids and nothing in this area specifically preys upon the beetles, so the odds are fair they will not all be eaten by spring. He said this same type of thing was done three years ago in Windham County, but it that is not enough time to tell if the beetles are working. He said their use has been documented in the past and shown to work, and while they are slow to take effect, the spread of the adelgid is not fast, either. According to Burns, the beetles' presence in Pownal is the first time they have been seen in Bennington County. ... <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.reformer.com/latestnews/ci_22144521/beetles-released-attack-invasive-species">link</a>. <br />
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<h3>
Maryland takes aim at invasive plants - New regulations will lead to ban on some species </h3>
by Holly Nunn, staff writer <br />
Gazette.Net<br />
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Marylanders may know about kudzu, the invasive ivy that can be seen choking trees along highways from Texas to New England. But there are species imported from other regions or countries that also threaten the native landscape, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture is proposing regulations to identify and rank floral invaders. <br />
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In 2011, the General Assembly passed legislation establishing the Invasive Plants Advisory Committee, charging that committee with establishing a framework for assessing how much risk a given species poses to the environment. <br />
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The framework chosen by the committee is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s weed risk assessment protocol, but also will take into account Maryland-specific risks. <br />
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The federal framework ranks a plant’s potential to spread, its economic impact and its risk of changing the environment or affecting human health. <br />
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Based on the risk assessment that the department adopts, invasive plants will be designated as either Tier 1 or Tier 2. <br />
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Under the regulations, Tier 1 plants will be banned from being sold, and Tier 2 plants will require labeling at the retail level. Landscapers also will be required to notify their clients of any Tier 2 plants being used, said Carol Holko, the Maryland Department of Agriculture assistant secretary for plant industries and pest management and a committee member. ... <br />
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“The department is taking public comment on the risk assessment regulations until Dec. 17. <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20121203/NEWS/712039946/1009/maryland-takes-aim-at-invasive-plants&template=gazette">link</a>.<br />
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-87467115719198414462012-12-03T10:32:00.002-05:002012-12-03T11:17:03.189-05:00<h4>
Partners of the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO-PRISM) Reports 2012 Accomplishments </h4>
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(Nov. 2012) Partners of the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO-PRISM) have completed a tremendous season managing harmful invasive species. The SLELO-PRISM is one of eight partnerships across New York State, encompassing the counties of St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Oneida, Lewis and Oswego outside of the Adirondack Park who’s mission is to “protect the ecological integrity of the eastern Lake Ontario Basin and Northern New York’s natural & cultural resources from the threat of invasive species.... </div>
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In 2012 partners of the SLELO-PRISM completed a tremendous amount of work designed to reduce the threat and impacts posed by invasive species. This work also serves to protect rare and endangered species of flora and fauna found within the five county PRISM region. '</div>
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Highlights from 2012 include: Significantly reducing the human health threats posed by Giant Hogweed by removing plants from 136 sites. Assisting in the restoration of over 230 acres of freshwater resources by controlling invasive Water Chestnut plants. Partners also helped to restore 50.02 acres of globally rare Alvar habitat in the eastern Lake Ontario coastline. Restoration of 19.52 acres of rare “Fen” habitat. Restoration of 3.6 acres of freshwater dune barrier systems within the Eastern Lake Ontario Coastline. </div>
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Restoration of 0.39 acres of wetland habitats and 5.8 acres of important habitats found in wildlife management areas. Other accomplishments include the establishment of an invasive species prevention zone on the core forest at Tug Hill, prevention activities designed to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, numerous education and outreach initiatives and several citizen science events. </div>
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According to Program Coordinator Rob Williams, “it is the energy and collaborative nature of our partnership along with support from New York State and the Central and Western Chapter of The Nature Conservancy that makes this work possible – our partners are motivated and engaged and they are the ones that truly make the difference.” <br />
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For more information about invasive species or the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, please visit their website at <a href="http://www.sleloinvasives.org/">www.sleloinvasives.org</a>. <br />
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<h4>
Invasive Boa Constrictor Thriving on Puerto Rico </h4>
(Nov 29, 2012) Non-native boa constrictors, which can exceed 10 feet and 75 pounds, have established a breeding population in Puerto Rico, one that appears to be spreading, according to recent research. This research is the first to document a large constrictor species established in the U.S. or its territories outside of Florida. The established boa constrictor population likely originated with the pet trade. <br />
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<a href="http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2012/11/invasive_boa_co.shtml?utm_source=feedburnerNational+Invasive+Species+Information+Center+-+What%27s+New&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nisic+%28National+Invasive+Species+Information+Center+-+What%27s+New%29">Link</a><br />
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<h4>
Invasive seaweed species spotted on Maine coast, poses threat to lobstermen and beachgoers </h4>
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By Will Graff, The Forecaster </div>
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CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — An invasive species of seaweed is rapidly moving north and recently was found on the town’s shore by South Portland High School students. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj8CviE-XfHMz_1jYAThWfeCqzVgUTYpfVIhGJkRO5XM96PfVUUdbOArvotDIP0JodtWCzdQljK6IvYKh4M4cgn29CTKVt3_zeQr6v60ypmMuzMLtt16kvx0jRdjY8icjkdopnZMW7GAk/s1600/Seaweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 164px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 223px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj8CviE-XfHMz_1jYAThWfeCqzVgUTYpfVIhGJkRO5XM96PfVUUdbOArvotDIP0JodtWCzdQljK6IvYKh4M4cgn29CTKVt3_zeQr6v60ypmMuzMLtt16kvx0jRdjY8icjkdopnZMW7GAk/s200/Seaweed.jpg" tea="true" title="Seaweed" width="200" /></a>Researchers are concerned the plant will dominate native seaweed and other plants. It also might turn into a nuisance for lobstermen, if it gets caught in their traps, and for beach-goers, who may notice its stench when it washes ashore. </div>
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The finding in Cape Elizabeth is the first sighting on a shore in Maine of the red Asian seaweed, <em>Heterosiphonia japonica</em>, although Northeastern University researchers in Boston also documented it during the summer while diving off the coast. </div>
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In October, students found the seaweed during a marine biology class where they were tasked with finding 11 different species of seaweed at Crescent Beach. The students returned to the lab with the different sets of seaweed they had gathered and put them under a microscope. </div>
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They found that one of the species was dramatically different than the native species and posted their findings through the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Vital Signs program, an online research platform aimed at locating invasive species in Maine. </div>
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Their teacher, Susan Richman, has worked on projects with Vital Signs and directed the students to use the program to connect with interested scientists, said Christine Voyer, one of GMRI’s Vital Signs staffers. Matt Bracken, a marine biology professor at Northeastern who is leading the research on the species, took notice of the student’s observation and confirmed their suspicion by posting a comment on their page.... </div>
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Read more at <a href="http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/29/news/state/invasive-seaweed-species-spotted-on-maine-coast-poses-threat-to-lobstermen-and-beachgoers/">link</a>. <br />
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Photo credit: The Forecaster BDN<br />
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<h4>
Bill to Protect Ohio River Basin from Asian Carp </h4>
By Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissionin Hunting and Fishing <br />
<br />
U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced a bipartisan bill to help prevent the invasion of Asian carp into the Ohio River basin. <br />
<br />
Although several federal agencies have been combating Asian carp, none have been designated as the lead agency to coordinate the federal response with state and local partners in the Ohio and Upper Mississippi River basins. <br />
<br />
The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act would allow the federal government to build a more effective partnership with state and local entities fighting to end the spread of Asian carp. This bill would place the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in charge of coordinating a new federal multi-agency effort, which would include the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Army Corps of Engineers. This multi-agency effort would include providing technical assistance, best practices, and other support to state and local governments working to stop the spread of the Asian carp. <br />
<br />
“Southwestern Pennsylvania’s iconic three rivers – the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio – are vital for both commerce and recreation. The spread of Asian carp in the Ohio River threatens this, and the federal government must act as a cooperative partner with state and local governments to stop this invasive species and protect the Ohio River basin’s ecosystem and economy. The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act will help do just that, and I urge my colleagues to join us in defending the Ohio River basin against this invasive species,” Sen. Toomey said. ...<br />
<br />
Read more at <a href="http://www.northcentralpa.com/news/2012-11-29_bill-protect-ohio-river-basin-asian-carp">link</a>. Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-31143693964382499162012-11-14T21:24:00.000-05:002012-11-14T21:24:00.902-05:00<h4>
NEW SENATE BILL WOULD STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS AGAINST INVASIVE ANIMAL SPECIES AND DISEASES </h4>
<strong>Bill sponsor Sen. Kristen Gillibrand seeks to prevent the import of harmful non-native fish and wildlife in her second term </strong><br />
<br />
WASHINGTON (November 13, 2012)—Shortly before Congress broke for its pre-election recess, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) took a major step forward to stop the import of invasive non-native animals when she introduced “The Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act of 2012” (S. 3606). Now that Congress has reconvened, the recently re-elected Senator will begin efforts to generate support for the bill from her Senate colleagues. <br />
<br />
“This bill, which updates a key import law that is 112 years old, deserves serious consideration by the 112th Congress,” said Peter Jenkins, spokesperson for the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species. “Its companion bill in the House has bipartisan support, and we anticipate the same support for the Senate bill.” <br />
<br />
This bill will allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent new, harmful fish and wildlife from being imported into the country and to more quickly act to prevent the spread of those that are already here. S. 3606 is the companion bill to H.R. 5864, introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter on May 30, 2012, and supported by 30 bipartisan co-sponsors. <br />
<br />
The current U.S. law governing the import of animals has proven to be ineffective in protecting the country from the influx of thousands of non-native fish and wildlife species being imported into the country, hundreds of which are already known to be economically or ecologically harmful, or present disease risk. Often, protections are put in place to limit the spread and transport of harmful non-native animal species only after they have escaped and become established. Recent invasions by imported animal species such as the Burmese python, Asian carp, and red lionfish are together costing federal, state, and local governments tens of millions of dollars annually in efforts to control them. These costs could have been avoided if authorities had considered their risks beforehand and restricted their importation. <br />
<br />
“A law enacted in 1900 provides insufficient oversight for the 21st century trade of live animals,” said Jennifer Nalbone, director of Navigation and Invasive Species for Great Lakes United. “The best defense against invasive species is to prevent them from being imported into the country in the first place. This bill goes a long way in preventing future invasions and protecting our environment, wildlife, and economy. Congress needs to enact this bill quickly.” <br />
<br />
As a leading import market, the United States receives hundreds of millions of live, non-native animals each year for use in aquaculture or for sale by the pet and aquarium trades and other businesses. For years, the federal government has come under sharp criticism for allowing the import of invasive animal species that cause extensive damage to ecosystems, are a burden to taxpayers, and present safety or health threats. <br />
<br />
The proposed legislation will create a new screening system within six years to proactively review live animals proposed for import to the United States and to restrict those that pose serious risks before they are imported, while also immediately giving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service greater flexibility and authority to make science-based decisions to prohibit or restrict live animals already in trade. The current law regulating animal imports does not require that animals being imported first be screened for invasiveness, for diseases they might carry, or for the risks they pose to humans or wildlife. <br />
<br />
“Senator Gillibrand’s action provides a critical opportunity for Congress to close the loophole that allowed harmful invasive species like Asian carp, Burmese python, and red lionfish to be imported into the country,” said Bruce Stein of the National Wildlife Federation. “S. 3606 represents one of the most significant policy advances we can make to prevent future harmful invasions, and save taxpayers millions of dollars a year in damages and control costs.”<br />
<br />
For more information, please visit www.necis.net. Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-75304122899025340232012-10-15T13:12:00.001-04:002012-10-15T13:20:55.100-04:00<h4>
Kudzu Reaches Northern Ohio</h4>
By Mary Beth Breckenridge <br />
Beacon Journal staff writer <br />
<br />
Kudzu has been called the vine that ate the South. Now it’s the North’s turn to struggle with it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6EHDg4WnXg6EuzTbI3QR7TDY4NNMpbrAtSZkuDXi6BIgGBFJXN6dBBKaecMAmmHM82PZ8k60FnWtR_bpZ4J5ESYpTWiVeIN8kpuiwCz2hB3CRKa0YPHxyD9LxAw0U53v_KCfLAXoaVH3/s1600/kudzu13cut-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6EHDg4WnXg6EuzTbI3QR7TDY4NNMpbrAtSZkuDXi6BIgGBFJXN6dBBKaecMAmmHM82PZ8k60FnWtR_bpZ4J5ESYpTWiVeIN8kpuiwCz2hB3CRKa0YPHxyD9LxAw0U53v_KCfLAXoaVH3/s320/kudzu13cut-02.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
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Workers in South Carolina try to remove the invasive plant kudzu. Kudza has been confirmed in Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga counties. (MCT File Photo) </div>
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Kudzu has reached our area [northern Ohio], with patches reported in Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga counties, said Kathy Smith, Ohio State University Extension program director in forestry. In fact, it’s been found as far north on our continent as Ontario and British Columbia. ... <br />
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That doesn’t necessarily mean the aggressive vine will soon drape our hillsides and choke our trees. It’s believed the growing season in Northern Ohio is too short to allow the plant to flower and produce fruit here, which keeps kudzu from spreading rampantly. </div>
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But that could change, said James Bissell, curator of botany at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The changing climate is warming our winters and stretching our growing season. Eventually the conditions could become ripe for kudzu to flourish in our area. “With global climate change, it could be a problem,” said Bissell, who tracks the distribution of plants in Ohio. “I expect it will be a problem.” ...</div>
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.ohio.com/news/local/kudzu-reaches-northern-ohio-1.342141">link</a>. <br />
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Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-40710912085791034132012-10-08T17:01:00.003-04:002012-10-08T17:02:14.055-04:00<h4>
New York Receives $1.4 Million for Invasive Species</h4>
On October 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that New York State will receive $1.4 million to combat invasive species. The grants are a part of 21 grants offered the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. <br />
<br />
For a list of grantees and awards, please visit <a href="http://environmental.laws.com/environmental-news/new-york-receives-14-million-for-invasive-species-33828.html">link</a>. <br />
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---------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-47498717321794322452012-10-02T12:58:00.000-04:002012-10-02T13:03:01.712-04:00<h4>
U.S. Army Corps Asks For Comments On Invasive Species Pathways</h4>
<br />
Morgan Sherburne<br />
Petoskey News-Review<br />
October 1, 2012<br />
<br />
CHICAGO — The Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday it is midway through a public comment period regarding a paper released that outlines 18 points of entry for aquatic nuisance species to transfer between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes. "The purpose of the study was to assess the probability of other aquatic nuisance species transferring between the Great Lakes basin or vice versa," said Richard Ruby, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The Army Corps of Engineers was tapped by Congress to look at all aquatic species, not just Asian carp." ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/featured/pnr-us-army-corps-asks-for-comments-on-invasive-species-pathways-20121001,0,1036.story">link</a>.<br />
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<h4>
Mile-A-Minute Spotted In Five More Connecticut Towns</h4>
<br />
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) - A rapidly growing invasive weed that chokes out native plants and damages habitat for native wildlife has been found in five more Connecticut towns. <br />
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Read more at <a href="http://www.myfoxny.com/story/19681077/rapidly-growing-vine-spotted-in-5-more-conn-towns#ixzz28A6HMGTB">link</a>. <br />
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-23362550104089248752012-09-28T10:38:00.000-04:002012-09-28T10:44:03.720-04:00EMERALD ASH BORER CONFIRMED IN TIOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK <br />
<br />
EAB Found As Part of DEC’s 2012 Trapping Program <br />
<br />
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Tioga County has been confirmed by the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens confirmed today. The EAB was found in a DEC-deployed trap two miles from the Pennsylvania border and six miles from the Chemung County border in the southwestern corner of Tioga County. Chemung County and all of Pennsylvania are under state and Federal EAB quarantine. A single adult EAB was found in one of the thousands of purple detection traps that are placed around the state this summer. <br />
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“With this year’s EAB detection trapping season rapidly coming to a close, we are working closely with our sister-agency, the Department of Agriculture and Markets and other stakeholders to examine the information derived from this year’s trapping to determine appropriate quarantine boundaries moving forward,” Commissioner Joe Martens said. <br />
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With the confirmation of EAB in Tioga County, New York now has 13 counties where EAB has been found. Most of the infested areas are small and localized, while more than 98 percent of New York’s forests and communities are not yet infested. <br />
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<br />
THE ART OF KELLY CHURCH AND CHERISH PARRISH<br />
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Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish are a mother and daughter team dedicated to saving the black ash tree and expressing their Anishnaabe tribal heritage through traditional and contemporary arts. They excel at black ash basket-making, birch bark biting, and painting. Based in Michigan, they show their award-winning baskets throughout the United States. <br />
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Black Ash Trees and EAB<br />
<br />
Since the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in 2002, Michigan has lost over 20 million ash trees, and the numbers continue to rise. The entire lower peninsula of Michigan is under a “no ash movement” quarantine, and the EAB continues to spread and infect entire ash lots, eventually killing off once healthy, thriving ash trees. <br />
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For hundreds of years, Native Americans of Michigan (Anishnabe) and Natives from all over the North Eastern United States have been using black ash trees, <em>Fraxicus nigra</em>, for basket weaving. These baskets have been used for centuries for utilitarian purposes such as market baskets, berry-picking baskets, fishing creels, baby baskets, laundry baskets, and sewing baskets. Today they are still used in a variety of ways and are also collectible baskets as pieces of art. The EAB is threatening the livelihood of a centuries-old traditional native art form, and we are working together to inform about EAB, learn what can be done to slow the spread, and ways we can preserve black ash basketry for generations to come. <br />
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Please visit their website at <a href="http://www.blackash.org/">www.blackash.org</a>.<br />
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Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.blackash.org/">www.blackash.org</a><br />
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-17825141809055104752012-06-23T21:26:00.001-04:002012-06-23T21:26:34.099-04:00<h2>
Goats take on Staten Island Phragmites</h2>
By LISA W. FODERARO <br />
The New York Times<br />
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On a sweltering afternoon on Staten Island, the New York City parks department unveiled its latest weapon in the war on phragmites, an invasive weed that chokes the shoreline: goats. Twenty Anglo-Nubians, to be exact. With names like Mozart, Haydn and Van Goat, and with floppy ears and plaintive bleats, they did not seem fearsome. But on Thursday they were already munching inexorably through the long pale leaves in the first phase of a wetland restoration at what will soon be Freshkills Park.<br />
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Known for their unending, indiscriminate appetites, the goats are being rented by the city for the next six weeks from a farmer in the Hudson Valley. Parks officials are counting on the goats to clear the phragmites across two acres of wetlands that will eventually be cultivated with native grasses like spartina and black needle rush. The hope is that the goats will weaken the phragmites, setting the stage for another series of assaults on their stubborn rhizomes — applying herbicide, scarifying the earth and laying down sand.<br />
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In the short term, the goats are part of an unusual experiment to eradicate the pesky reeds, which were introduced from Europe in the late 19th century and which, once rooted, are almost impossible to eliminate. They have fueled brush fires across the region and pushed out other species along the East Coast.<br />
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But the farm animals are also being tested for their lawn-mowing prowess, especially at Freshkills Park, which is in transition from its former life as the world’s largest landfill to its future one — as the largest park to be developed in New York City in more than a century.<br />
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“We want to introduce the idea of using goats to help in vegetation management,” Eloise L. Hirsh, the administrator of the park, said. “The sanitation department mows us once a year. But this is 2,200 acres. We need help.” ...<br />
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“The first test was to see if they would eat the phragmites, and they’re eating it, so they passed,” said Terry Doss, an ecologist with Biohabitats, a company specializing in ecological restoration that is advising the parks department.<br />
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The city received a grant of $350,000 from the state for the wetlands project. (The cost of renting the goats from Larry Cihanek of Rhinebeck, N.Y., is $20,625 for the six weeks.) If the goats prove successful, Freshkills Park may one day have a permanent herd. “It’s exciting to be able to replace what would be a carbon-polluting mowing strategy with a more natural approach,” said Andrew Deer, a landscape architect for the parks department.<br />
<br />
While goats have been deployed for phragmites duty elsewhere, some ecologists are skeptical.
“I’m not a big fan of goats,” said Bernd Blossey, an associate professor of natural resources at Cornell University. “I understand why people are desperate to try them. But they will eat the leaves but not the stems, and they also don’t like getting their hooves wet.”<br />
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Professor Blossey is experimenting with moth caterpillars, which can weaken phragmites. In the 1990s, he was successful in unleashing leaf beetles against another plant invader, purple loosestrife, which is not nearly the scourge it once was.
But as the goats made their debut this week at Freshkills Park, any such doubts were pushed to the background. Ms. Hirsh was already looking ahead to a day when goats not only keep phragmites in check, but also put Staten Island on the artisanal food map. “We would like to have a cheese manufacturer here,” she said. “I know there will be lots of skepticism. But it would be a pretty eloquent statement about how you really can restore land that was formerly very damaged.”<br />
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A version of this article appeared in print on June 22, 2012, on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: To Tackle an Invasive Weed, Bringing In the Hooved Pros.<br />
<br />Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-16167358063850197752012-05-22T22:05:00.003-04:002012-05-22T22:27:01.456-04:00<h3>
State DEEP setting traps in Connecticut for invasive emerald ash borer </h3>
Richie Rathsack <br />
MyRecordJournal.com <br />
<br />
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, along with The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, will be placing 590 detection traps throughout the state to monitor the presence of the invasive emerald ash borer. With the ash borer recently found about 25 miles from the Connecticut border, along the western edge of Dutchess County New York, this year’s detection effort will be expanded. ... <br />
<br />
Monitoring of the Connecticut traps will be led by the UConn extension system in cooperation with the agriculture experiment station, DEEP Forestry and State Parks personnel, the state Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many landowners, wood product businesses and municipalities also agreed to host a detection trap again this summer, according to the DEEP. ... <br />
<br />
The DEEP is asking Connecticut residents to report possible borer infestations to the agriculture experiment station or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine. Early detection is the best defense against further infestation, according to the DEEP. Residents suspecting they have seen borers should report their findings to the agriculture experiment station at (203) 974-8474 or CAES.StateEntomologist@ct.gov (digital photos of suspect insects and damage on the trees are very helpful). Residents can also report sightings to the department of agriculture via its website at www.beetledetectives.com. A new forest pest educational video may also be viewed at CAES: Videos. <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.myrecordjournal.com/local/article_04e6ab6a-a346-11e1-b43a-001a4bcf887a.html">link</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Freeport fights green crab invasion</h3>
By Kelley Bouchard <br />
Staff Writer <br />
The Portland Press Herald<br />
<br />
FREEPORT, MAINE - There's an army of green crabs hunkered down in the channels of the Harraseeket River and Recompence Cove, and every night they skitter up onto the mud flats to feast on whatever shellfish they can find. <br />
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They've munched their way through most of the wild mussels, scallops and snails along the town's 27-mile coast, and now they're working on wiping out one of Maine's prime soft-shell clam populations. <br />
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To combat this small but destructive creature, the Freeport Shellfish Commission is launching the first municipal shellfish conservation program in Maine. Its goal is to reduce predators, protect and enhance existing shellfish beds and diversify the bivalve species growing in nearly 180 acres of mud flats, more than half of which are currently unproductive. <br />
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Local clammers hope to save and expand a natural resource that supports 45 families in Freeport and entice other coastal communities that face similar devastation to join the fight. ... <br />
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The number of green crabs in Maine waters has spiked in recent years as fin-fish stocks have declined, reducing the number of predators that might keep the crab population in check, according to Coffin and other clammers. Warmer coastal water temperatures and a lack of winter ice along the shore also promoted green crab growth. <br />
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The shellfish conservation program also will include advanced water quality testing to determine the DNA of fecal coliform and help environmental officials figure out the source of pollution, such as failed septic systems or farm runoff. <br />
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Nets will be used to keep crabs out of productive clam flats, which range from Bowman Island to Flying Point, Coffin said. Traps will be used to catch crabs in shallow waters and remove them to a local landfill, where they will be composted. <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.pressherald.com/news/town-launches-first-municipal-shellfish-conservation-program_2012-05-21.html">link</a>.<br />
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5941398069495375572.post-41614578322985144412012-05-09T20:17:00.000-04:002012-05-09T20:46:03.138-04:00<strong><span style="font-size: large;">NYDEC Begins Emergency Rule-Making for Hydrilla Infestation Treatment </span></strong><br />
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ALBANY, NY (05/09/2012)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation adopted an emergency rule to allow for herbicide treatment to combat hydrilla, an invasive plant species that has plagued parts of the Cayuga Inlet since last summer, the agency announced today. "Immediate action is necessary to stop the spread of hydrilla to preserve native plants and indigenous aquatic ecosystems throughout New York state," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "By amending the regulation to allow the use of fluridone pellets, DEC is helping control the infestation of a destructive species that threatens the Finger Lakes economy and habitat." The emergency regulation allows the use of fluridone pellets in waters less than two feet deep for 90 days. Upon expiration, DEC intends to renew the temporary, emergency regulation until a permanent rule is in place. The rule amends 6 NYCRR 326.2(b)(4)(ii), which prohibits the application of fluridone pellet formulations in waters less than two feet deep. ... <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://readme.readmedia.com/DEC-Begins-Emergency-Rule-Making-for-Hydrilla-Infestation-Treatment/3886412">link</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">MN to test dogs against emerald ash borer</span></strong><br />
<br />
Stephanie Hemphill<br />
Minnesota Public Radio <br />
<br />
HARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Specially-trained dogs could soon help enforce quarantines against Emerald ash borer in Minnesota. Ramsey, Hennepin, Houston, and Winona counties have quarantines that prohibit the movement of ash materials, and any other hardwood firewood. State officials say it is difficult to distinguish one type of firewood from another. Four dogs will join human workers this summer as they inspect yard waste sites and trucks hauling compost, said Liz Erickson, spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. "Our regulatory crew has a schedule of what sites to visit, so on their regular site visits they'll take the dogs to have a more efficient and effective site visit," Erickson said. The dogs — two Labrador Retrievers (one yellow, one black), a German Shepherd, and a Belgian Malanois — are being trained by the non-profit group Working Dogs for Conservation to detect ash wood and Emerald ash borer larvae. The invasive pests threaten ash trees across the state and across the country. ... <br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/05/08/environment/mn-to-test-dogs-against-emerald-ash-borer/?refid=0">link</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Goats tackle invasive species</span></strong><br />
<br />
Associated Press <br />
<br />
BALTIMORE (AP) Brian Knox's goats are a bit of a novelty in Maryland, munching invasive species that have proven too tough for mowers, weed whackers and herbicides. <br />
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On the West Coast, his business model is already so trite it has inspired a tongue-in-cheek Canadian auto insurance commercial saluting "Goat Renter Guy." <br />
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Back East, Knox isn't overly worried about others stealing the idea, which involves first fencing off overgrown areas to keep the goats from munching elsewhere. <br />
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"One of the things that keeps the competition down is people don't like ticks, they don't like thorns and they don't like to sweat," Knox said. "And if you're running goats, you've got all of that, that and poison ivy. I've always got poison ivy, the goats don't get it, but I'm covered all the time." Knox, a forester by training who runs Sustainable Resource Management, Inc., an Easton-based consulting firm, said his Eco-Goats subsidiary is becoming a bigger part of his operation. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.stardem.com/business/article_4bacc1db-8aa6-5527-8a46-013d0fdbcb8a.html">link</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">'Rock snot' infects Delaware River</span></strong><br />
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Ben Horowitz/The Star-Ledger <br />
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An invasive form of algae has spread aggressively south in the Delaware River, creating dense shag-carpet-like mats that threaten insects and plants, and the fish that feed on them. <br />
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There is no way to eradicate or even control the algae, known as didymo — or even less formally as "rock snot." Even more troubling, the microscopic plant can spread easily, according to officials at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. <br />
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As a result, officials are urging boaters, fishermen and waders to take extra precautions to avoid infecting other areas of the Delaware or other rivers and streams. ...<br />
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Read the full story at <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/rock_snot_invasive_algae_sprea.html">link</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">New York State wants you (and your smartphone) to help map invasive species</span></strong><br />
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By Lissa Harris<br />
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Call it Conservation 2.0: Citizen science is getting more and more digitally connected all the time. <br />
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Take iMapInvasives, an ambitious new project for mapping the spread of invasive species. iMapInvasives combines citizen reports from the field with larger databases maintained by state agencies and nonprofits, allowing backyard nature buffs to make real contributions to public scientific knowlege on invasives. The service launched recently in a handful of states, including New York, but it has national ambitions. In New York State, the iMapInvasives project is being run by the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP), a collaboration between the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the nonprofit Nature Conservancy. <br />
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On Tuesday, May 8, the iMapInvasives team is seeking volunteers equipped with smartphones to help road-test some new features in the field, and map the spread of invasives in the Esopus Bend Preserve while they're at it. ... Read the full story at <a href="http://www.watershedpost.com/2012/new-york-state-wants-you-and-your-smartphone-help-map-invasive-species">link</a>.<br />
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12353991889315763029noreply@blogger.com0