Special Unit to Tackle Dramatic Rise in Invasive Species

• by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

ALBANY, NY (12/26/2007)(readMedia)-- With invasive species proliferating throughout New York’s waterways, forests and farmlands, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today the formation of a new office within DEC to focus on one of the state’s fastest growing environmental threats.

The new Office of Invasive Species will bring together biologists and foresters to develop ways to combat the problem, and work with universities, other state agencies and non-profit organizations to support research and raise public awareness. From zebra mussels to Eurasian water milfoil to Sirex wood wasps, hundreds of non-native plants and animals have invaded New York – especially in the last decade, thought to be linked to the rise in global shipping – posing threats to ecosystems.

“These invasive species have a devastating impact, not only on the environment but also the economy,” said Governor Eliot Spitzer. “They have wiped out certain tree species, hurt recreational and commercial fishing, and tainted water supplies. This new office will bring a much needed focus to a problem we cannot ignore.”

“Invasive species compete with, prey upon and can substantially alter the environment of our native species of plants, fish and wildlife,’’ Grannis said. “Even though many of them have been around for years, we have never had a coordinated system in place to attack the problem, a system that threads together the issues of public outreach, funding and legislation needs, and research.”

Earlier this year, Governor Spitzer signed a law to create the New York State Invasive Species Council, comprised of representatives of nine state agencies and an advisory committee of business, academia and conservation interest groups. In addition, the 2007-08 State budget included $5 million for invasive species programs, including grants for municipalities to eradicate problem species, public outreach efforts through Cornell Cooperative Extension and a plan to develop “clean stock” at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva to provide fruit growers with a virus-free planting stock. Plans also call for creating an Institute of Invasive Species Research at Cornell University.

DEC’s Office of Invasive Species will help bring together all these efforts.

“The establishment of this office speaks to urgency of the issue,’’ said Steve Sanford, a DEC biologist who will lead the new office. “I’m very excited that we’re taking this step.”

The new office also will aid efforts to craft an integrated map that pinpoints invasives in and near New York, create an information clearinghouse (within New York Sea Grant, a research organization) for invasives and work with the federal government.

Some of the more well-known invasive species in New York are zebra mussels, milfoil, chestnut blight and the Asian Long Horned Beetle. And new ones are being found at a rapid rate. Last summer, DEC confirmed the presence of Didymo (or “Rock Snot”) in a section of the Batten Kill, a fabled trout stream in Washington County. The algae can wreck trout habitat by harming the bottom-dwelling organisms on which fish feed.

In recent years, thousands of migratory birds that stop at Lake Ontario and Lake Erie have died after consuming two particular invasive species (quagga mussels and a fish called the Round Goby) that helped spread type E botulism in the Great Lakes. Ballast-water discharge from ocean-going vessels is a likely suspect in the spread of the Round Goby, the mussels and viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) a fatal fish disease that has been found in the Great Lakes and – just last summer – in several smaller New York lakes and ponds. As part of a multi-state lawsuit, Grannis recently called on federal officials to force ocean-going ships to clean out their ballasts before entering the nation’s waterways.

Invasive species have also spread to forests. DEC has been combating the Sirex wood wasp, which spreads a fungus that can devastate trees, especially red and white pines. Also, foresters are preparing for the possible emergence of the Emerald Ash Borer, a tree eating beetle that has been spreading east from the Midwest and has recently appeared in Pennsylvania.

To find more information, go to DEC’s Invasive Species page on the Web: www.dec.ny.gov/animals/265.html.

To read DEC's full comments on the ballast-water issue, go to www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/commentsballastwaterrule.pdf