Landowner Updates – Invasive Species
Matching Funds for Non-native Invasive Plant Management in Sandy Mush
Many conservation easement and other private landowners in the Sandy Mush Community have been involved with the Sandy Mush Forest Restoration project (www.sandymushforestry.org), where partners EcoForesters and the Forest Stewards Guild are bringing resources to landowners that would like to learn more about how to manage their forestland.
Multiple agencies and businesses have given time and energy to helping Sandy Mush fight back on non-native invasive species among other resource management issues. Landowners have also taken advantage of planning and non-native invasive plant control, while others have secured EQIP funding through the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
EcoForesters now has an exciting stewardship opportunity for Sandy Mush conservation easement holders. Thanks to a generous grant from Brad & Shelli Stanback, matching funds are now available for non-native invasive plant control. We are aware of the challenges that abound for forestland owners and this is the perfect chance to double the impact on your land.
If you would like more information about this program, please contact Lang Hornthal at EcoForesters. lang@ecoforesters.org
Invasive Species Alert – Spotted Lanterfly
Coming to a forest near you, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive insect, native to East Asia that was introduced to the United States in the early 2010’s. Spotted lanternflies attack trees and woody plants in swarms, piercing the bark and sucking the sap, leaving behind a sugary residue that encourages the growth of black sooty mold and increases susceptibility to infection. The pest poses a major threat to the outdoor recreation and agricultural industries, especially logging and fruit production. Spotted lanternfly infestations are known to exist in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, with its range expanding rapidly with the movement of infested materials and equipment.
Identifying the spotted lanternfly
Photo credit National Park Service
Adult spotted lanternflies are 1 inch long with spotted gray wings and red underwings. Juveniles are black or red with white spots, and egg masses are a light yellowish-gray. Lanternflies swarm smooth, hard surfaces like tree bark, Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) being its preferred host, walls, decks, or rocks. Visit https://spottedlanternfly.com/ for identification help.
What you can do
Infestations are best controlled by scraping and destroying egg masses before they hatch in the spring, banding trees to control recently hatched swarms, and using insecticides where appropriate. Eliminating Tree of Heaven, spotted lanternflies’ primary host, but leaving male “trap” trees is also a good practice to help prevent the establishment of the pest.
Through this project we hope to:
On Saturday June 3rd, ten members from Waynesville’s First United Methodist Church came out to our Doubleside Knob conservation property to help removed invasive Oriental Bittersweet vines.
One of the most fascinating qualities of the Roan Highlands is the complex bio-diversity of the region. High elevation grassy balds colliding with shrubs, spruce-fir and hardwood forests is a potent mix. In the Roan you can find 25 globally rare ecological communities, as declared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and 5 federally endangered species. This is a major reason why we value the Roan and do close monitoring of exotic invasive species.
