The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) established the Capital District Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Task Force to help fight and slow the spread of the destructive insect, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced.
EAB continues to spread with recent infestations found in the City of Albany, the Town of Colonie, the City of Watervliet, and the City of Troy.
“EAB has been found in 22 counties in New York, putting all of New York State’s 900 million ash trees in the state at risk,” said Commissioner Martens.
EAB is a small, invasive beetle from Asia that was brought to the United States in wooden shipping pallets and crates most likely in the 1990s.
EAB larvae feed on the cambium tissue of ash trees, just below the bark.
This feeding creates S-shaped galleries, or tunnels, through the living tissue of the tree, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.
Trees infested with EAB typically die within two to four years, under a moderate to severe infestation.
Ash is a common street tree and yard species because of its beauty, upright growth and resiliency.
“The City of Albany has approximately 1,000 ash trees on city streets and hundreds of additional trees in City parks and other public spaces,” said City of Albany Forester Tom Pfeiffer.
“The loss of these trees will greatly impact business districts and residential neighborhoods. We are hopeful that the task force will be a huge asset as we face this challenge.”
The Capital District hopes to learn from the success of well-established groups, such as the Onondaga EAB Task Force.
The Onondaga EAB Task Force has been surveying street and park trees for damage, setting traps for EAB, selecting trees suitable for chemical treatment or removal, and creating disposal sites that follow state and federal regulations.
The spread of EAB is inevitable but with proper management, the rate of movement can be slowed and the costs of coping with EAB can be lowered.
For more information about the EAB Task Forces statewide, visit the New York Invasive Species Clearing House website at http://www.nyis.info/ (Leaving DEC website).
