Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Invasive Species topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission commits to support Hemlock Initiative after survey and treatment presentation
Summary
Following a field report from the New York State Hemlock Initiative, the commission accepted a proposal to fund seasonal technicians and approved up to $30,000 from its budget (combined $40,000 including a $10,000 donation) for 2025 survey and treatment work to address the hemlock woolly adelgid threat.
The commission voted to accept a proposal from the New York State Hemlock Initiative — through the Lake George Hemlock Coalition — to fund seasonal field technicians and extend survey and treatment capacity for 2025. The resolution commits the commission to contribute $30,000 and acknowledges a $10,000 donation from the East Shore Spring Lake Association to reach a combined $40,000 in support.
Allison McKenna, field team leader for the initiative's Adirondack crew, described the pest and the program’s approach: extensive field surveys, targeted insecticide treatments and the establishment of biological control insects (Laricobius and Lygotaraxes). She told commissioners that the Initiative surveyed almost 3,000 acres around Lake George in autumn 2024 and checked over 8,000 trees; teams treated 67 acres and more than 1,000 trees in the fall season. “It can kill a mature hemlock tree in as little as 3 to 4 years, if left untreated,” McKenna said.
Commissioners agreed the effort merited support; the adopted resolution authorized the executive director to expand commission support up to the combined $40,000 for 2025 survey and treatment efforts. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded nays.
Implementation notes: the resolution tasks the commission and the Hemlock Initiative with coordinated surveys and treatments and foresees continued collaboration with DEC, volunteers, and local patrol staff to support island surveys and treatment access.
