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Central New York EAB Task Force
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Welcome to the June edition of the

Central New York Emerald Ash Borer Newsletter
 
This monthly CNY EAB newsletter will serve as a way to keep the lines of communication open among all EAB task force members, organizations, municipalities, and residents. This newsletter will contain news on research, projects, grant opportunities, and questions sent in by you. 

Please browse some of the recent happenings below. And as always, keep in touch and stay involved. 
 
Change to Ag & Markets Restricted Zone Map and Regulations

NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets has updated the restricted areas map. In addition to the changes to the map, NYSDAM has also included a way for the industry to apply for a limited permit to remove uninfested ash trees from WITHIN the quarantine zone, during flight season (May 1- August 31). The permits are issued on an individual basis through the Albany office, and inspectors will be doing spot checks to check for compliance. The new regulation is now in effect as an emergency measure, and the 45 day comment period began June 22 for permanent adoption of the regulation. Comments can be emailed to Christopher.Logue@agriculture.ny.gov. A memo regarding these limited permits can be found here - Ag & Market Regulations Memo.
NY Great Lakes Basin Small Grants RFP due September 23
 
New York Sea Grant in partnership with the NYSDEC is requesting proposals for projects that serve to benefit the environment and economy of New York’s Great Lakes basin.
 
Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded for projects that implement Goal #5 and/or Goal #7 of the Great Lakes Action Agenda. Respectively, these goals are to: 
  • “conserve and restore native fish and wildlife biodiversity and habitats to achieve and sustain resilient ecosystems and vibrant economies” and
  • “enhance community resiliency and ecosystem integrity through restoration, protection, and improved resource management”
Project planning, design, and/or implementation, information management tool development, demonstration projects, and targeted outreach and education initiatives are eligible. Projects must be located within or be directly related to the Great Lakes basin region of New York.

A webinar about the grant application will be offered July 11& 25 at 12pm. Register at: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/SmallGrantsProgramWebinars_112. 
For questions or more information, please email Heather Weitzner at hw528@cornell.edu. 

Proposals will be due by September 23, 2016. Grants will be announced the week of October 31, 2016. Full request for proposals and application guidelines are online at http://www.nyseagrant.org/proposals.
 
This small grants program is made possible by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund and Article 14 of Environmental Conservation Law.

24th Annual ReLeaf Conference
July 14-16 at Skidmore College


This year’s conference “Sustainable Urban Forestry, Digging In” will offer continuing education credit for  ISA, SAF, CNLP AND LA!  
 
For information see the Council website at www.nysufc.org. Contact Liana Gooding to register at lgooding@rochester.rr.com
EAB confirmed in Saratoga County 

The NYS DEC confirmed that EAB was discovered in Waterford and Ballston Lake in Saratoga County. For more information visit 
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/14eaa65
 
Q & A from Task Force Members
Joan H from Erie Village noted: Of interest, one of the ash trees that we injected in 2014 is infected with the beetle.  It will be removed next week.   We are planning to inject the remaining 77 probably this week. I was pretty upset to see that.   A couple of others are looking kind of thin but no obvious beetle damage.  I wonder if the strange late winter could have weakened them and made them vulnerable to the beetle?   Your thoughts? 

Jessi's reply: Joan, it is troubling that treated trees are now infested. In some cases the three-year efficacy of emamectin benzoate (TreeAge) stated by researchers (not the label) is too optimistic, and it could be due to applicator error, or tree vigor. Depending upon the severity of the infestation, trees could still be saved even with the beetle present and that is expected by the land managers that use the 1/3 treatment rule. With the 1/3 treatment, we accept that the 2/3 untreated trees may become infested but hope that the severity will be slight enough to make treatment worthwhile when they are treated in year 2 or 3. And, there's a chance that the trees treated in year one may become infested before they are retreated in year 4.

Regarding other trees that look thin - there has been significant frost damage seen across multiple species due to the warm winter and late hard frost. This may have helped to kill some beetles, but also stressed many trees. The three possibilities I considered are:
  1. Those trees may have been infested last fall, but beetles did not emerge due to die off. So you wouldn't see obvious signs of infestation.
  2. The trees could also be infested with active beetles and woodpeckers haven't figured it out yet and they haven't emerged yet so no exit holes would be seen. And it's REALLY hard to see conclusive signs of early infestation without stripping trees.
  3. Or it was just a hard year for those trees and they're not infested.
Monitoring and adapting the management strategy based on new information is Intergrated Pest Management at its best. Keep it up and you'll be helping the remaining trees have a fighting chance. 
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD - Jessi Lyons, Environmental Educator. Photos by John Gwozdz
 
The St. Lawerence EAB Task Force visited the Syracuse area in May to see first hand what EAB looks like, and to learn about how our Task Force works. We took the group to visit the Village of East Syracuse and a phragmites/ash swamp off Manlius Center Road. The change in just one year was breath taking.
 
I've noticed the heavily pecked and dead trees as you drive along I-481, I-690 and Kirkville Rd. But as you cruise through the Village of East Syracuse and take side roads in Kirkville, Manlius, Minoa and DeWitt, the vast expanse of dead and mostly dead trees is chilling. East Syracuse has the misfortune of being home to a high density of mature ash as landscape trees next to homes. Even trees that were treated last year show significant decline and trees that only hinted at infestation are now mostly dead. The vase-shaped skeletons that were once tall ash stand out along the perimeter of the surrounding woodlots.

Recently a local logger was killed by a widow-maker tree next to the tree he was cutting, and there were two field fires in Kirkville in May. I can't claim that these events were directly related to EAB or involved ash trees. But, as I looked at these fields, forests, and homes the danger to tree workers, loggers, farmers and wild areas was very apparent. We now have an immense amount of dead standing wood that poses a fire risk during droughts or falling risk, a hazard to anyone working, hiking or hunting in these forests and woodlots, and to homeowners who don't realize the danger next to their homes.  

I will be working with the Task Force executive committee in the next couple of weeks to increase the public awareness about EAB. As summer storms and drought pass through our region, the hazards from dead ash will increase. Let's continue to work to spread the word and get good information out to the public. 
EAB Workshop on Wellesley Island July 15  

Come to beautiful Wellesley Island State Park on July 15 and learn more about a small beetle that is about to make a big impact on your life. The emerald ash borer, or EAB, known to fly 2-4 miles a season, is only a mile away from St. Lawrence County, just across the river from Massena, Ogdensburg, Waddington and Hammond. It will soon be in your community, so find out how to prepare for it, including how to potentially save some of your ash trees. The event is free and open to the public.

Friday, July 15th 2016; 9am- 2pm at the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center at Wellesley Island State Park, 44927 Cross Island Rd., Fineview, NY

Sponsors include the St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Invasive Species management (SLELO PRISM) and Cornell University. 

For more information or to register, please contact Megan Pistolese, SLELO-PRISM Educator,
(315) 387-3600 Ext. 77254 or megan.pistolese@tnc.org
EAB in the News
Don't want to wait for EAB updates? 

Check out the Urban Forestry EAB Toolbox anytime. Visit:

http://www.urban-forestry.com/emerald-ash-borer.
 
Announcements
 
July 14-16: NYS ReLeaf Conference July at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.  http://www.nysufc.org

July 15: EAB Workshop at Wellesley Island. Contact Megan Pistolese at megan.pistolese@tnc.org.

The NY Great Lakes Basin Small Grants RFP is open until September 23.  This Grant is available for communities interested in restoring their urban tree canopy.
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