Help Protect Area Forests from Harmful Invasive Pests.

All firewood should only be purchased from local sources and not transported from long distances. Residents should beware of the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Longhorned Beetle.

Asian longhorned beetle is major threat.
The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) was first discovered in the U.S. in 1996 in Brooklyn on hardwood trees. It is believed that this invasive species was transported in the U.S. in wood packing crates used in cargo shipments from Asia. It has since grown to be one of the major threats to forest health in the eastern U.S. This beetle is major threat to the forests around Lake George and the Adirondacks.

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) attacks healthy and stressed deciduous hardwood tree species, such as maple, birch, horse chestnut, poplar, willow, elm and ash. The establishment of the ALB has the potential to cause enormous tree mortality in the Northeast. An outbreak has been documented in Worcester, MA.

Adult ALB are identified by their antennae and spotted bodies (see top right). Infested trees can be identified from the exit holes (see right) that an adult ALB create when it bores out of a tree. ALB larvae tunnel into a tree, resulting in girdling (cutting off vascular flow), causing die back in the crown and ultimately killing the tree.

See Lake George Fact Sheet about the Asian longhorned beetle. If you see one of these beetles call the NYS hotline at 1-866-265-0301.

Emerald ash borer has devastated forests in the Midwest.

The Emerald ash borer (Agrilius planipennis fairmaire) was first reported in Michigan in 2002. This non-native beetle exclusively infests and kills all native North American ash species (Fraxinus sp.). Ash trees comprise approximately 7% of all trees in New York State. Ash trees have been devastated in much of Michigan after eight years of infestation.

See pictures of the Emerald ash borer (right) and the pattern of larvae and pupa as they tunnel between the bark and wood of a tree (right). This boring into trees results in the reduction of nutrients to the tree, which eventually kills the tree. Dead ash trees become a hazard to property owners as they literally start to fall apart once the tree has died. In Michigan, vast stretches of forests dominated by ash trees have been devastated.

See Lake George Fact Sheet about Emerald ash borer. If you see one of these insects call 518-402-9425.

Do not import firewood from areas outside the Lake George watershed as this may import these invasive pests to the Lake George area.

The transport of firewood is the key way that these invasive pests are spread. Lake George is vulnerable as campers, boaters, hunters and second home owners often transport large volumes of firewood around New York and from outside the state too. As contaminated wood is moved long distances it becomes extremely difficult to control infestations that pop up in multiple locations. The FUND for Lake George and Lake George Waterkeeper recommend that you do not import any firewood into the Lake George area and buy only locally produced, and certified/documented firewood.

In an attempt to control outbreaks, wood products cannot be moved from certain areas in New York. This fall the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation acted to quarantine wood products from counties in the Catskills and western New York.

See new Lake George Fact Sheet about the importance of not transporting firewood around the state.

New Do-It-Yourself Water Quality guide shows the way to help protect Lake George.

This excellent new landowner's guide just won a stewardship award from the Lake George Watershed Coalition. This new guide provides a wealth of information about property management that helps protect Lake George. Contact us to get a copy today.

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