Local News
Related Photos
-
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
ENVIRONMENTAL: State increases wood restrictions
Officials hoping to halt the spread of invasive beetle
Thinking about vacationing in Allegany State Park this year? Leave the firewood behind.
That’s part of a message the state Department of Environmental Conservation is conveying with a quarantine announced Friday to help stop the spread of an invasive insect called the Emerald Ash Borer.
Movement of ash trees, ash products and all firewood is prohibited in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. The state order also restricts the movement of regulated wood products into or through the quarantine district.
“Our success in slowing the spread of this destructive pest will be dependent upon the cooperation and assistance of the regulated industries and the general public,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker. “The cooperation we have received thus far from stakeholders in the area has been extremely encouraging and appreciated.”
Native to Asia, the Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle that has an affinity for ash trees. If not controlled, the beetle could wipe out New York state’s 900 million ash trees. The insects were found in New York state for the first time last month in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph.
Damage is caused by the larvae, which feed in tunnels called galleries just beneath the bark. The serpentine galleries disrupt water and nutrient transport, causing branches, and eventually the entire tree, to die. Since its discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002, the borer is blamed for the destruction of more than 70 million ash trees in the United States.
The beetle has spread to 11 other states and two Canadian provinces.
New York officials have been preparing for its arrival. Over the last two summers, triangular prisms have been hung in ash trees to collect insect samples. The purple devices are coated with a sticky substance that lures the insect.
A number of these prisms are visible along Erie and Niagara county roads.
Since its detection in Randolph on June 15, New York state and federal partners have identified a 10-acre infestation area that included 39 trees, all of which have since been cut and chipped. The exact cause of the Randolph infestation remains under investigation.
“After assessing the current infestation and consulting with national experts, businesses, and other stakeholders, the state determined that establishing a quarantine area was the best way to protect the more than 900 million ash trees here in New York,” DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service will issue a parallel quarantine.
DEC is continuing to enforce regulations that govern the movement of firewood. There is a state ban on untreated firewood entering New York and a restriction covering intrastate movement of untreated firewood to no more than a 50-mile radius from its source.
The full order will be posted at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/47761.html on the DEC Web site.
- Local News
-
-
Emmett 'Triumphant' at Molson Canal Concert
Rik Emmett, the Canadian singer and former front man for the band Triumph, headlines Friday night’s Molson Canal Concert.
-
Lockport folks regaining pride through Old Home Week
Old Home Week was a hit, not on a grand scale, but on a hometown level, appreciated by natives and visitors, alike.
-
Airline safety bill OK'd
Members of the Western New York congressional delegation on Friday praised the final passage of sweeping legislation aimed at improving airline safety in the wake of a deadly commuter plane crash in Clarence Center last year.
-
Kids show off musical skills at Kenan
Eighteen fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students took part in a public concert on Friday at the Kenan Center Taylor Theater as part of the Summer Music Arts Program.
-
Red carpet rolled out for new Falls visitor center
John Percy was serious Friday when he pledged to roll out the red carpet for more than 200 guests attending the official opening of the new $2.4 million state-of-the-art Niagara USA Visitor Center.
-
BOCES program puts focus on careers
A group of students in grades 5 through 8 spent a part of their summer vacation inside of the classroom — and preparing for their future.
- Police blotter published July 31
-
How to protect against West Nile virus
The last reported case of West Nile virus in Niagara County came last year, affecting a Town of Lockport resident in the area of Upper Mountain Road and Sunset Drive.
With another confirmed case of infected mosquitos just south of Buffalo this week, authorities are warning residents to take precautions -
State incentive encourages Barker-Lyndonville schools merger
There would be a big advantage for the school districts of Barker and Lyndonville if they were to merge, an advisory committee found out Thursday.
-
Teen released, man in fair condition after fire
Two of three men injured in a boat fire Tuesday in Wrights Corners have been released from the hospital, while a third is still in fair condition.
- More Local News Headlines
-
