Items
of Interest:
Help Out and Become a SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and Education Team) Volunteer!!! (Jan 28, 2010)
Massachusetts Town of Sudbury. Conservation Office.
There will be various projects from SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and Education Team) in April and throughout the year.
DCR Sets Boat Inspection Procedures for the Quabbin Reservoir Fishing Season (PDF | 22 KB) (Jan 25, 2010)
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
State officials determined that a properly implemented boat inspection and washing program could prevent the transfer of mussels or aquatic invasive plants into the Quabbin Reservoir. In response, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has established procedures for boat inspections that will be required for all private boats on the Quabbin Reservoir that do not currently have an official Quabbin boat seal.
USDA Announces Additional Funding to Eradicate the Asian Longhorned Beetle in Massachusetts (Jan 11, 2010)
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack an
U.S. Department of Agriculture.nounced the availability of $41.5 million in emergency funding to prevent the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Massachusetts.
State Environmental Officials Urge Consumers to Avoid Invasive Plants in Holiday Decorating (Nov 19, 2009)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
State officials are urging homeowners and holiday decorators to beware of invasive plants that may be used in holiday wreaths and garland. The two most common invasive plants are Oriental Bittersweet and Multiflora Rose, which are on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List. Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to import or sell Oriental Bittersweet or Multiflora Rose in any form (plants or cuttings) in the state.
Department of Fish and Game Takes Action to Prevent Possible Spread of Invasive Zebra Mussels (Jul 15, 2009) / State
Officials Take Steps to Contain the Commonwealth's
First Confirmed Infestation of Zebra Mussels
(PDF | 25 KB) (Jul
8, 2009)
Massachussets Department of Conservation
and Recreation.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation
and Recreation has
confirmed the presence of zebra mussels,
a highly aggressive aquatic invasive species,
at
Laurel Lake in Lee and Lenox. See Zebra
Mussel page
for more information.
Pathogen
Alert: Late Blight of Potatoes and Tomatoes (Jun
29, 2009)
Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach
Project.
Late blight, a destructive disease caused
by Phytophthora infestans, is a pathogen
of tomato and potato plants that has recently
been found in several states in the Northeast,
including Maine, New York and Pennsylvania.
This is a serious, destructive disease that
can spread quite rapidly when conditions
are right, infecting an entire field within
days. If you think you have seen late blight
of potato and tomato, you can report
it,
or call the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural
Resources Plant Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779.
Asian
Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program
Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach
Project.
The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis, "ALB"),
a pest of hardwood trees including maple, birch and horse chestnut, was recently
discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is the first detection of the
invasive pest in Massachusetts.
The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) is expanding the
Asian
longhorned beetle (ALB) quarantine area
(PDF | 1.4 MB) to
include additional portions of Worcester
County, Massachusetts.
If you think you have seen
this beetle, we encourage you to submit a report and photos, or
you can call the toll-free hotline
at 1-866-702-9938. |