News stories tagged with "invasive-species"

(09/19/11) It's estimated there are about 8 billion ash trees in North America, and every one of them could be killed by a tiny invasive insect called the emerald ash borer. It was first found in Detroit 9 years ago, probably after arriving on a cargo ship from Asia. Since then the ash borer has devastated forests in the upper Midwest and has broken out into surrounding states. David Chanatry with the New York Reporting Project at Utica College reports. more

(08/15/11) Non-native plants and animals will readily invade a local ecosystem if they get the chance--think kudzu or zebra mussels. Now scientists with the state Department of Environmental Conservation are tracking a new threat to New York, the Emerald Ash Borer.

The invasive insects have been moving east from the Midwest for years, devastating hardwood forests along the way. This summer, they were spotted at West Point, on the Hudson River. State scientists have been trying to slow their spread, banning transport of firewood and quarantining areas where the beetles have been found.

Gino Geruntino is with the New York Reporting Project at Utica College. He found a telltale sign of the DEC at work on a walk through the woods at Hunt's Pond in New Berlin: big purple boxes hanging from the trees. more

(07/27/11) New York state is facing new pressure to scrap tough ballast water regulations that are set to go into effect next year. The rules are designed to stop invasive species from reaching the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

But as Brian Mann reports, Republicans in Congress say New York should be stripped of hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal EPA funding if the regulations aren't scrapped. more

(07/19/11) New York state is pushing forward with plans to implement tough new rules designed to keep ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway from bringing in invasive plants and animals. The regulations are set to go into effect in 2013.

Researchers say the Seaway has opened the door to dozens of foreign organisms that are wreaking havoc on native ecosystems.

But opponents of the rules, led by the Canadian government, say they're too strict and would stifle trade and commerce in the region. Brian Mann has our story. more

(07/19/11) Sheep - and cows and other livestock - can munch through a field in no time. In the process, they can upend the natural distribution of plants in the area.

With the right shepherd, though, it turns out that sheep can bring balance to an ecosystem by eating invasive plants, and do the job of a lawnmower, or an herbicide, without the pollution.

WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail. more

(04/25/11) Milder weather brings lots of green to the yard and garden, but not all of it's welcome. Just as perennial flowers are putting out their first growth, so are the perennial weeds. Martha Foley talks with Amy Ivy about common weeds, and why now is the time to tackle them. Plus advice on getting rid of tough invasives like bittersweet and grapevines.

(03/31/11) Last week, the first freighter of the year rumbled up the St. Lawrence River. That marked the 53rd season of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a man-made channel linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes.

The Seaway's billion dollars of commerce is mostly an economic conversation between Canada's southern coast, America's Midwest, and the far-flung ports of the world.

But it's caused vast environmental damage in the North Country and across the Great Lakes, largely via invasive species.

David Sommerstein went to the Seaway's opening ceremony last week in Montreal. He sends this report on the Seaway's delicate balance between the economy and the environment. more

(01/27/11) Martha Foley talks with Dr. Curt Stager about his ongoing quest for a pristine Adirondack Lake -- one not affected by stocking programs, liming, logging, mining, etc. He thinks he has found one.

(08/17/10) An update now on the invasive zebra and quagga mussels. Yesterday, we told you about the Sackets Harbor water treatment plant on the shore of Lake Ontario. It was nearly shut down last week after its intake pipe was so choked with mussels almost no water came through.

This morning, we hear from Dr Dawn Dittman. She's a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey in Cortland, New York--and one of only a few people tracking the invasive mussels.

She says their numbers appear to be stabilizing. And she tells Jonathan Brown some popular sport fish--native to Lake Ontario--are starting to find zebra and quagga mussels quite tasty.

(07/01/10) Environmental groups are blasting the US Corps of Engineers and urging President Obama to do far more to stop the spread of an invasive fish into the Great Lakes.

Scientists say the aggressive Asian carp -which can weigh up to 100 pounds--could wipe out natural fish stocks in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

As Brian Mann reports, some lawmakers want new, permanent barriers that would prevent the fish from spreading. more