Asian Longhorned Beetle Information

In light of the recent discovery of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) in Jamaicaway, Boston, on Thursday, July 15th Senator Chandler and Representative O’Day of Worcester organized an information briefing to help legislators learn more about and spread the word about the Asian Longhorned Beetle.

Since the ALB was discovered in Worcester in August 2008, entire neighborhood landscapes have been transformed as 25,000 trees have been removed over a short amount of time to fight the spread of the beetle. Thus far, the city of Worchester has started the re-planting process, but there is a great amount of work yet to be done.

Now that we have learned that the beetle has spread, we would like to make sure that everyone in our community is aware of the issue in the hopes of keeping this environmental epidemic to a minimum. As a state, we’re in for a long protracted battle against the ALB, and we all must be as informed as possible in order to best protect our communities, our Commonwealth, and New England at large.

Together with Commissioner Rick Sullivan of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Commissioner Scott Soares of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, you can acquire free materials to place in town halls, libraries, schools, and distribute to community groups that summarize the dangers and the successful eradication efforts of the ALB, and most importantly how to immediately report any sightings.

For order requests of free materials including the DVD, Lurking in the Trees, which presents Worcester as a town that could be anywhere in America, filled with people who are seeing the devastation of forest pests on a personal level and rising to the challenge of protecting the entire region’s vital natural resources, email info@lurkinginthetrees.org .

You can also visit the site http://www.mass.gov/agr/alb.htm and print and post copies of the information below:

Asian Longhorned Beetle Information

Contact: Jennifer Forman Orth, Jennifer.Forman-Orth@state.ma.us – 617.626.1735

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), discovered in Worcester, MA in August 2008, is an invasive pest of hardwood trees, including maple, birch and elm. The spread of this pest would cause serious negative impacts to the maple sugaring, nursery, tourism and forest product industries, as well as to our state’s forest, park and street trees. The Division of Crop and Pest Services, through the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) Program, provides public outreach and screening of potential Asian longhorned beetle sightings in order to prevent the further spread of this invasive pest.

The following Asian longhorned beetle information resources are available:

• Report a potential Asian longhorned beetle sighting (or call toll-free: 1-866-702-9938)

• Massachusetts Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program website (Latest Regulated Area maps, host lists, etc.)

• ALB Outreach Tools (printable fact sheets, Powerpoint presentation, photos and graphics)

• ALB Newsletter

As always, please be in touch with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

CORY ATKINS

14th Middlesex

617-722-2692

Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us