Aug 25, 2008 6:10 pm US/Eastern
Destructive Beetles Targeted In Worcester
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
Federal and state inspectors, working in pairs, began surveying trees in Worcester's Kendrick Field where the
Asian Longhorned Beetle has infested maple trees. On Tuesday, they'll move into the Greendale and Great Brook Valley sections of the city looking at hardwoods that may host the destructive bugs.
Tom Denholm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's program director here says the inspectors, working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., will all wear shirts with the ALB program logo. They will also have a badge with the inspector's picture. "We're going to be polite guests, not disturbing anything, not making any messes," says Denholm.
But the great fear in this city with 19,000 public shade trees stems from what happened when the beetles invaded part of New Jersey and 21,500 trees were cut down. "We're going to balance the need for eradication against the need for preservation and that's certainly my role at the table," says City Manager Michael O'Brien who explains that an eradication protocol has not been worked out yet.
In New Jersey all susceptible hardwoods within a quarter mile of each infested tree were removed along with the infested ones. Denholm says that's a possibility here but adds, "I think that potential sacrifice might balance out with the potential risk if we don't do it."
The U.S.D.A. says the beetles threaten billions of dollars in damage to lumber, maple syrup and related industries. The beetle, believed to have come from China in shipping materials, does not harm people, pets or wood on houses. Wayne Frigon of Kendrick Street says he's not a tree hugger but feels bad about potential losses, "shade, oxygen, beauty, just aesthetics."
The survey's expected to take about three weeks, weather permitting. Then it will take another two weeks for data collected to be analyzed before property owners are notified about whether they have any infestation.
All of the trees removed will be chipped. The chips will then no longer be quarantined. Worcester's City Manager says the energy market for burning those chips is being investigated as a way of funding a re-plating program.
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