For Immediate Release
November
30, 2016
Contact:
Karen L. Coluzzi, (207) 287-7551 Email: Karen.L.Coluzzi@Maine.Gov
Expansion of Search for
Invasive Forest Pests Announced
Outreach will encompass all 16 Maine Counties in effort to combat growing
threat posed by invasive insects
AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
(DACF) announced two awards that will expand outreach to
all 16 Maine counties in an effort to address the growing threat from invasive
forest pests. The Maine Association of Conservation Districts Employees
Committee and the Saco River Recreational Council received continued funding
($35,000 and $5,000, respectively) for their efforts to provide outreach and
education to engage citizens in helping protect Maine forests.
“Early detection
of invasive pests such as Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, hemlock
woolly adelgid, winter moth and others are crucial in protecting the forest
products and forest recreation industries in a state that is 90% forested,”
said DACF Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “Once these insects have established a
foothold in other states, they become difficult if not impossible to eradicate.
By working in partnership with soil and water conservation districts in all 16
counties and community partners along the Saco River, we can better protect our
forest resources and economies.”
Early detection of
invasive forest pets can be accomplished through outreach and education
efforts. This not only reduces the costs and resources needed for a management
response, but also increases the chances of eradication success.
The DACF has been conducting outreach and
education since 2009 with funding provided by the Farm Bill Section 10007. The Maine
Association of Conservation Districts Employees Committee, in partnership with
12 county conservation districts in Southern and Central Maine, and the
Saco River Recreational Council were both awarded funding under a competitive Request for Proposal
issued by the DACF in 2015. This year’s awards continue the outreach provided
by these organizations, expanding outreach to all 16 counties in Maine.
“The outreach and education that are being contributed by these two conservation
organizations will enhance the Department’s existing efforts resulting in
increased public understanding of the economic and environmental threats
associated with invasive forest pests,” said Karen Coluzzi, DACF State Pest Survey
Coordinator. “The awards increase
support for management and mitigation efforts, and increase reporting of
potential pest sightings to federal or state authorities. The threat of invasive forest species requires continued
vigilance, education and awareness of the general public to safeguard this
significant state resource.”
For more information on invasive forest pest
outreach and education in Maine, contact Karen Coluzzi at the DACF Division of
Animal and Plant Health at Karen.L.Coluzzi@Maine.Gov or at (207)
287-7551.
To
read more about the Department’s efforts to address forest invasive pests,
access the annual accomplishment reports at www.maine.gov/dacf/php/caps/ALB/AnnualReports.shtml .
For more information on the Department’s
Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project, read a synopsis at www.umaine.edu/invasivespecies/2012/05/14/fpos/ .
This material is made possible through
a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF)
and is funded in part by a Cooperative Agreement from the United States
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The USDA and the DACF are equal opportunity providers and employers.
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