Photo Courtesy of Sen. Schumer
According to Schumer, the Spotted Lanternfly poses a risk to all of New York.
By Forum Staff
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday revealed that pockets of NYC, Long Island and Upstate are now infested with the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF).
According to Schumer, the SLF poses a risk to all of New York. Schumer said New York City’s parks, like Central Park, Long Island wineries and upstate crops are all at risk. Schumer said, uncontrolled, the pesky bug could cost New York State millions if it is not contained. Schumer urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to tap federal funds from an account he has supported with over $200 million dollars to contain the SLF. Schumer said these funds can be used by New York’s “Integrated Pest Management Program,” and that there is still time to contain the Spotted Lanternfly’s serious threat to New York. Schumer also said fed funds can be used for education and eradication teams as he made the case for to deliver an additional $22 million in the upcoming fed budget to deal with invasive species like the SLF.
Schumer detailed his two-pronged push to contend with the bug: First, Schumer said that he is calling on the USDA’S Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to use the over $200 million for the Specialty Crops Pests program he secured in the recent appropriations bill, including $1 million allocated for the control of Spotted Lanternflies, to bolster New York’s ongoing efforts to prevent the insect from spreading in New York.
Second, Schumer said he is launching a major push to increase federal support for the USDA’s APHIS program by over $22 million in FY23 to enhance their work with states to prevent & mitigate invasive species like the Spotted Lanternfly. Schumer praised the work being done currently by USDA and New York State to monitor for sightings of the SLF and to educate locals on best ways to spot this invasive species. The senator explained, however, that long-sustained funding and planning is required to prevent damage and ensure communities have the resources to stop this bug from coming back and stomping it out wherever it may pop up.
To help control this invasive insect, the state, with the help of federal funds, is:
Conducting trapping surveys, collecting data, and monitoring SLF populations
AGM issued a quarantine that restricts movement of goods brought into NY from quarantined areas in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Requires certain items (like construction and landscaping materials) have a certificate of inspection issued by impacted state
Conducting outreach to the public, trade groups, other stakeholders to provide up to date info on SLF
Educating the public on how to identify SLF, report sightings to the state, and kill the bug; get in the habit of inspecting firewood and outdoor furniture for egg masses; and reminding New Yorkers if they leave the state to inspect their car for SLF before coming back to avoid further spreading them
In an effort to detect SLF early and respond in a timely manner, DEC has established a Protective Zone encompassing 20 counties located near the PA and NJ infestations. Protective Zones allow DEC and its partners to conduct activities such as surveying, monitoring, and management to find and prevent the spread of SLF. Protective Zones are established in the following counties: Queens, Bronx, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster and Westchester.
