Current:Home > Contact-usMaine wants to expand quarantine zones to stop tree-killing pests-InfoLens
Maine wants to expand quarantine zones to stop tree-killing pests
View Date:2024-12-23 15:40:46
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine forestry officials are planning a wide expansion of quarantine zones to try to prevent the spread of three invasive forest pests that pose threats to the state’s timber industry.
The pests are the emerald ash borer, the hemlock woolly adelgid and European larch canker. Forest managers in many states have tried to slow the spread of the borer and the adelgid, while larch canker has primarily been a concern in Maine and Canada.
The quarantine areas place restrictions on the movement of items such as firewood, logs, branches and plants in an attempt to stop the pests from spreading. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forests wants to expand the zones for all three pests.
The borer poses a threat to the state’s ornamental tree industry, the forestry department said in documents about the pest. The expanded quarantine zones are important “to protect Maine’s forest, timber, and wildlife resources from this destructive pest,” the department said in documents about the adelgid.
The three pests are all capable of killing trees. The adelgid, a tiny insect native to Asia, does so by sucking sap from tree needles, draining the tree of life.
Pests such as adelgid have become an increasing focus of forest managers and state governments in the U.S. as they continue to spread as the planet warms. Scientists have said the pests are helped by a warming climate and trees weakened by drought, and that global trade helps them move.
The emerald ash borer was first identified in the U.S. in 2002. Maine’s forestry department wants to extend the quarantine area for the borer into multiple new counties in southern Maine. The department said that would protect more than 60% of the ash resource that is outside the current quarantine areas.
Larch canker is a disease caused by a fungus that ruins trees and makes them unsalable. The state’s plan for the disease would expand quarantine zones north from the coast.
The forestry department is holding public hearings about the plan to expand the quarantine zones on Sept. 6. The hearings are being held in Augusta, Old Town and virtually.
veryGood! (97149)
Related
- Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
- Mexican tourist shot to death during robbery in resort town of Tulum
- 'Concerned Citizen' At Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' Trial Turns Out To Be Family
- Russian journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza sentenced to 25 years in prison for Ukraine war criticism
- What to know about Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney, who died Friday
- Renowned mountain climber Noel Hanna dies descending from peak of Nepal's treacherous Annapurna
- Jamie Lee Curtis Offers Life Advice From an Old Lady on the Oscars 2023 Red Carpet
- Snapchat is adding a feature to help young users run for political office
- Judge weighs the merits of a lawsuit alleging ‘Real Housewives’ creators abused a cast member
- Bear kills Italian jogger, reportedly same animal that attacked father and son in 2020
Ranking
- KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
- Emma Watson Is the Belle of the Ball During Rare Red Carpet Appearance at Oscars 2023 Party
- Huge policing operation planned for coronation of King Charles
- Archeologists in Italy unearth ancient dolphin statuette
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Why Kelly Ripa Says “Nothing Will Change” After Ryan Seacrest Exits Live
- Why Top Gun: Maverick’s Tom Cruise Will Miss the 2023 Oscars
- 3 Former U.S. Intelligence Operatives Admit Hacking For United Arab Emirates
Recommendation
-
Sam LaPorta injury update: Lions TE injures shoulder, 'might miss' Week 11
-
Pregnant Rihanna Brings the Fashion Drama to the Oscars 2023 With Dominatrix Style
-
TikTokers Are Trading Stocks By Copying What Members Of Congress Do
-
3 Former U.S. Intelligence Operatives Admit Hacking For United Arab Emirates
-
What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
-
Sudan group: Dozens killed in fighting between army, paramilitary
-
Facebook asks court to toss FTC lawsuit over its buys of Instagram and WhatsApp
-
Oscars 2023: Lady Gaga Deserves an Applause for Helping Guest Who Fell on Red Carpet