08/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/23/2024 08:32
Travelers, industry professionals and citizens are encouraged to "Help Protect Vermont's Trees" in new outreach campaign.
August 23, 2024 | Burlington, VT- The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM), and UVM Extension are once again alerting the public about threats from non-native, invasive insects to the state's trees and ecosystem. Among them is the spotted lanternfly, first found in Pennsylvania in 2014, and slowly making its way north with established populations already in southern New York and much of Connecticut and Massachusetts. This pest, which is emerging into the environment now, to date has no known infestations in Vermont, but could easily be established here.A new effort by FPR, VAAFM and UVM Extension seeks to educate gardeners, grounds managers, landscape professionals and anyone travelling into Vermont about all three pests, but especially the spotted lanternfly. A new poster, "Help Protect Vermont's Trees," will be hung around the state at welcome centers, state parks, historic sites, and other locations to raise awareness of the threat of these non-native insects, and what to look for to prevent their spread. The other two highlighted in this effort are the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorn beetle.
The "Help Protect Vermont's Trees" outreach works in conjunctions with the Arrive Clean, Leave Clean campaign, which debuted in June, promoting ways to help slow the spread of invasive, non-native insects and plants. In addition to checking vehicles for spotted lanternflies, the campaign encourages anyone spending time outdoors this summer and fall to clean their gear and avoid moving firewood. It's a joint effort of University of Vermont Extension; the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
Ginger Nickerson | UVM Extension Forest Pest Education Coordinator | (802) 656-4831 | [email protected]