State environmental officials say the emerald ash borer could have a devastating impact on the state's forests.With invasive species proliferating in New York's waterways, forests and farmlands, the Department of Environmental Conservation in December formed a special unit to focus on one of the state's fastest-growing environmental threats.

The Office of Invasive Species will bring together biologists and land managers to develop ways to combat the problem, and work with universities, other state agencies and nonprofit 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. Invasive species can wipe out entire tree species, hurt recreational and commercial fishing, and alter the ecological balance.

Zebra mussels were first detected in the Great Lakes in 1988.Some of these invaders have been around for decades, but the state hasn't had a coordinated system to attack the problem. That's where the new unit steps in, according to Steve Sanford, a DEC biologist who will lead the effort. "The establishment of this office speaks to urgency of the issue. I'm very excited that we're taking this step."

Last year, Gov. Eliot 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 groups. In addition, the 2007-08 state budget included $5 million for invasive species programs, including grants for municipalities to eradicate problem species and public outreach efforts.

The Office of Invasive Species 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 (commonly called 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.

Invasive species have also spread to forests. The state 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 recently appeared in Pennsylvania.

Newsletter Issue

• Ecopolitics Monthly --- January 2008