Out-of-State Crews Arrive to Help State Officials Battle Southern Pine Beetle Infestation

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced recently that three two-person teams of forest health specialists from New Hampshire, Maine and Nova Scotia arrived to assist the State Forest Health staff survey and map newly discovered southern pine beetle (SPB) infestations across central and eastern Long Island.

Additional out-of-state forest health specialists are expected to arrive next week to continue survey and delimitation efforts.

Assistance is being provided through the Northeast Forest Fire Compact, with specific Forest Health emergency response funding provided by the U.S. Forest Service.

“DEC greatly appreciates the support it is receiving from Northeast Forest Fire Compact and the U.S. Forest Service,” Joe Martens, DEC commissioner said. “The faster we work to determine the full extent of the problem the quicker we will be able to enact aggressive strategies and tactics that will have a greater chance to minimizing this pest’s impact on pine lands throughout the Long Island region.”

The assistance is part an arrangement New York State has as a member of the Northeast Forest Fire Compact.

Travel, meal and lodging costs, for incoming crews are being paid by the Fire Compact, with approximately $57,000 in federal funds.

DEC, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Central Pine Barrens Commission and Long Island municipalities have began taking steps in January to deal with the southern pine beetle infestation.

Several agencies have even begun tree-cutting operations in an attempt to reduced additional damage.

Southern pine beetle was confirmed for the first time in New York State in October 2014.

In early February 2015, DEC personnel began cutting infested trees on the DEC-managed Henry’s Hollow Pine Barrens State Forest in Hampton Bays and on adjoining Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation parkland at Munn’s Ponds County Park, also in Hampton Bays.

The cutting operations were completed on Wednesday, April 15 with 2,451 tree having been cut on this state and county combined 20-acre impacted parcel.

Actions were taken to control the infestation at Henry’s Hollow after aerial and ground surveys were taken to help confirm which areas have been infested by Southern Pine Beetle.

The Southern Pine Beetle is considered one of the most destructive forest pests in the United States and attacks all species of pine including pitch pine, the predominant species found in the Long Island Pine Barrens.

Before its discovery last year on Long Island, it had reached as far north as New Jersey and has devastated almost 50,000 acres of pine barrens in their state.

Town, county, state and federal agencies are working together to protect Long Island’s 55,000 acres of core pine barrens and the 100,000 acres of surrounding compatible growth of pine barrens which protect our sole source drinking water aquifer.

The accepted and most effective method of minimizing the spread of the beetle includes cutting infested trees and thinning surrounding forested areas.

Thinned forests enable individual trees to better defend themselves against beetle attacks.

If untreated, the beetles can move swiftly to nearby forested areas.

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