Invasive Species News

This Month's Topics:

• DEC's Survey Efforts Help Protect NY's Waters
• Recent Invasive Species Findings
• Boat Stewards Begin to Wrap Up Another Successful Season
• Upcoming Learning Opportunities
• Plastic Bag Ban Enforcement Starts Oct. 19

DEC's Survey Efforts Help Protect NY's Waters

DEC's aquatic invasive species team has been coordinating surveys to detect and map invasive species in New York State's waters. Surveys help us better understand invasive species infestations and inform our management efforts. Since we can't monitor every waterway, surveys are targeted on higher risk areas. Recent survey efforts have focused on the Mohawk River, Hudson River, and several Adirondack lakes.

Monitoring efforts help us engage in early detection and rapid response (EDRR), as well as long-term management. EDRR is always best, it focuses on finding and controlling new populations of invasive species before they have become widespread. The more monitoring we engage in, the more likely we are to catch an invasive species early. For many invasive species, there are a variety of successful control methods to choose from including physical, biological, or chemical controls. Unfortunately, we can’t get ahead of every invasive species, which is where longer-term monitoring and management comes into play. Data on established populations help us create and implement better management plans.

Mohawk River Survey

DEC’s efforts to survey the Mohawk River include a three-year survey in partnership with Adirondack Research, a consulting firm that specializes in invasive species. The survey effort is in its first year and will provide valuable information to help us protect this important waterway.

Hudson River Surveys

DEC’s aquatic invasive species specialists have been monitoring the Hudson River Estuary and its watershed to ensure that invasive hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has not spread from the Croton River. Hydrilla poses a major threat to native fish species as well as recreation opportunities. In recent years DEC, along with SOLitude Lake Management and Northeast Aquatic Research, have conducted surveys at more than 47 sites along the Hudson. Luckily, no hydrilla has been found in the Hudson River to date.

Adirondack Surveys

The Adirondack Mountain Club has been leading monitoring efforts in the Adirondacks, in partnership with DEC and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program. A total of 15 backcountry surveys have been completed this year. The most recent surveys focused on waters in the Lake George Wilderness Area and, luckily, found no invasive species!

Help Us in the Battle Against Invasive Species

Please report invasive species findings to NY iMapInvasives using your mobile app or online platform. For aquatic invasive species, you also have the option of contacting DEC with photos and location information via email at isinfo@dec.ny.gov.

Recent Invasive Species Findings

In August, new invasive species findings in New York State made headlines.

• Emerald ash borer was discovered in Warren County. While not unexpected given EAB's spread, this infestation marked the first confirmed case of this pest within the Adirondack Park.
• DEC and NY iMapInvasives confirmed a finding of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in Washington County. This is the second recorded infestation of HWA within the Adirondack Park. A 2017 finding at Prospect Mountain was subsequently eradicated.
• Our partners at the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that several live spotted lanternfly (SLF) adults had been found in Staten Island, marking the first infestation of SLF in New York State.

DEC and partners are actively working to manage these infestations and slow their spread. As always, we encourage the public to report new sightings of these and other invasive species. Check out the webpages for EAB, HWA, and SLF for photos of infestation signs, current known locations, and how to report. You may also report invasive plants and animals using the NY iMapInvasives mobile app or online platform.

Photo: A spotted lanternfly adult (left) and nymph (right) (photo by USDA)

Boat Stewards Begin to Wrap Up Another Successful Season

The boating season may have unofficially ended Labor Day weekend, but New York State’s Watercraft Inspection Steward program continues at select locations. To date, this year’s boat stewards have inspected more than 330,000 boats, talked with hundreds of thousands of water recreationists, and intercepted more than 18,000 aquatic plant and animal hitchhikers (including one very important finding of the infamous invasive plant hydrilla!).

When you’re enjoying the water this fall, please continue to support our stewards’ good work and protect NY’s waters by remembering to clean, drain, and dry your watercraft.

Photo by the Adirondack Watershed Institute

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

• Verticillium nonalfalfae as a Biological Control Agent for Tree of Heaven (Southern Regional Extension Forestry) – October 7 at 1 p.m. – Dr. Matt Kasson, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at WVU, will discuss the potential of the pathogen Verticillium nonalfalfae. Open to all, but will be of particular interest to land owners, land managers, foresters, natural resource professionals, and university professionals.
• North American Weed Biocontrol Summit (NAISMA) – October 28 from 10 a.m. -    2 p.m. – This summit will bring together weed biocontrol researchers and land managers to share the status of biocontrol research and implementation programs from various regions across the US and Canada, as well as updates from European and other international collaborators.
• Assessing the Risk of Invasive Introductions at Trailheads in the Adirondack Park (NYISRI) – October 28 at 11 a.m. – Join the NY Invasive Species Research Institute for a presentation by Jim Duncan, Director of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, as he speaks on invasive plant introductions in the Adirondacks.
  • Can't make this one or another NYISRI webinar? Webinar recordings are available on their YouTube channel. Check it out to see what other hot topics they've covered recently.

DEC Announces Enforcement of New York's Plastic Bag Ban to Start Oct. 19, 2020

DEC will begin enforcement of the State's ban on single-use plastic carryout bags on October 19, 2020. The plastic bag ban, which went into effect on March 1, was not enforced per an agreement between the parties in a lawsuit brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., et al, in New York State Supreme Court.

Pursuant to an Order of the New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, DEC agreed to provide the parties and the Court at least 30 days' notice prior to commencing enforcement. DEC is currently conducting extensive outreach to stakeholders, including grocery stores, retailers, and others, to provide notice of the start of enforcement and answer questions.

DEC continues to encourage New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop with the #BYOBagNY campaign, launched earlier this year.Additional information about exemptions to the plastic bag ban, frequently asked questions, and posters, flyers, and tip strips to download, as well as tips for keeping reusable bags clean are available on DEC's website.

New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually—each for about 12 minutes—and approximately 85 percent of this staggering total ends up in landfills, recycling machines, waterways, and streets. In March 2017, Governor Cuomo created the New York State Plastic Bag Task Force, chaired by DEC Commissioner Seggos. The task force met several times to develop a uniform, comprehensive, and equitable solution to the challenge of plastic bag waste. The final report analyzed the impacts of single-use plastic bags and provided options for legislation that could help develop a statewide solution. In addition, following passage of the New York State Plastic Bag Waste Reduction Act, DEC held a series of meetings with industry stakeholders across the state to invite input from the public and guide the agency's development of rules and regulations to implement the law.

For more information about the plastic bag ban, reusable bags, or to file a complaint about entities using single-use plastic carryout bags, visit DEC’s website, email plasticbags@dec.ny.gov, or call (518) 402-8706.