The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is urging anglers to report and dispose of any invasive Northern Snakehead fish that may be caught in the lower Susquehanna River. This advisory follows the documented movement of 21 Northern Snakeheads past the Conowingo Dam into the Conowingo Pool, a 14-mile-long section of the Susquehanna River located between the Conowingo Dam in Maryland and the Holtwood Dam in Pennsylvania. Anglers are reminded that possession, transport, and importation of a live snakehead is unlawful in both Pennsylvania and Maryland. Any of these invasive fish that are caught should be killed and disposed of properly or consumed. Anglers who suspect they have caught a snakehead are encouraged to NOT release it, and report it to the PFBC at (610) 847-2442 or by sending an email to tgrabowski@pa.gov. For more information on Northern Snakeheads in Pennsylvania, including an identification guide, visit the PFBC snakehead resource page.
Pennsylvania
Spotlights
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Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
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Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced that twelve counties have been added to Pennsylvania's Spotted Lanternfly quarantine zone ahead of the 2020 spring hatch. With this addition, the quarantine (PDF | 506 KB) for this invasive pest is now at 26 counties. The new dozen counties are not completely infested, but rather have a few municipalities with a known infestation (PDF | 803 KB) which led to a quarantine being placed on the entire county out of an abundance of caution. Allegheny, Beaver, Blair, Columbia, Cumberland, Huntingdon, Juniata, Luzerne, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, and York have been added to the quarantine for 2020. For more information on Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania, visit https://agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.
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Pennsylvania Sea Grant College Program.
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose a significant threat to Pennsylvania’s economy, freshwater resources, and native aquatic species. Pennsylvania Sea Grant announces 'there’s an app for that' with the launch of "PA AIS," a new, easy-to-use smart phone application. The "PA AIS" app is now available in the Apple App Store, with an Android version anticipated. The "PA AIS" app can be used in airplane mode or in areas outside of coverage, making it ideal for use in the field. Users can identify AIS and submit a report to the state AIS coordinator, including the location, severity, and photos of the suspected infestation. Illustrations help users learn more about each species to ensure accurate identification in the field. Prevention tips help educate freshwater enthusiasts such as anglers and boaters about the steps they can take to properly clean gear and ensure that AIS are not transported from one water body to another.
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Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.On Aug. 9, 2011, the department in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Penn State Cooperative Extension confirmed the presence of Thousand Cankers Disease in black walnut trees in Bucks County. Since this pest complex cannot be eradicated in Pennsylvania, and since black walnut is of high value to the forest products industry and to forest and urban ecologies, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is joining with state and federal agencies and Penn State Cooperative Extension to slow the spread of TCD in the state through monitoring and quarantine. For more information or to report a possible case of Thousand Cankers Disease on walnut please contact your Pennsylvania local county cooperative extension office or contact the Invasive Species Hotline at 1-866-253-7189 or Badbug@pa.gov.
State Specific Threats
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University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Includes invasive species by category for insects, diseases, plants, and animals.
See also: Invasive Species Status Report by Congressional District -
DOI. USGS. Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.Provides fact sheets, maps and collection information for aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates occurring outside of their native range.
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USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS). National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS).Provides State pest detection contacts, recent state exotic pest news, links to state pest resources, and a list of state CAPS survey targets.
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USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.See also: Includes also Federal Noxious Weed List and Federal and State Noxious Weeds -- Composite (summary of noxious status for all the listed plants in the U.S.)
Selected Resources
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