Governor Andrew Cuomo will allocate $3 million from the Environmental Protection Fund to help manage the spread of the invasive—and destructive—southern pine beetle on Long Island.
The funds will be directed to the Department of Environmental Conservation, which has been working to control the spread of the beetles since their detection locally in 2014. Native to the southern United States, the beetles burrow holes into and feast upon pine trees, disrupting the flow of water and eventually killing them.
The main problem has been stopping the spread of the beetles, which cannot be controlled or killed by traditional means. Rather, infested trees—marked first by their yellow or red needles and, later, by their lack of them—must be cut down to prevent the beetles from leaping onto nearby trees and infecting them as well.
Approximately 10,000 pine trees, mostly in Hampton Bays, have been cut down to help stop the spread of the beetles.
With the additional $3 million, the DEC will hire additional crews to remove infested trees, thin other areas and schedule prescribed burns when necessary.
In January, Southampton Town was awarded $300,000 from the DEC, through Suffolk County, to finance the removal of pine trees decimated by the southern pine beetle. The state agency expects to release a second round of grants this coming summer.
Joseph Shaw, Executive Editor on Jun 6, 2017