From the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources:
“6 red maples infested by the Asian Long-Horned Beetles were discovered on the property of the Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain. The trees have already been removed by the US Dept. of Agriculture and the State team. Everyone is hopeful that this was an isolated infestation but USDA, MADA, DCR and others will be surveying areas within a 1 1/2 mile radius of the infestation. This means that officials will want to survey trees on both public and private property over the next months. USDA will provide photo ID’s to all tree personnel.”
What you can do:
- Inform yourself. See this site for how to recognize the beetle. It is very important to be as informed as possible now that the beetle has been found on the Faulkner Hospital grounds, next to the Arnold Arboretum and not far from Franklin Park and Forest Hills Cemetery.
- Attend public meetings like the one at the Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse on Tuesday, July 13th at 6:00 pm to discuss strategies with the Parks Department and the USDA so you can pass all necessary information on to your friends and neighbors.
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More from the Mass. Deprtment of Conservation & Recreation, 7/16/2010:
FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS HOLDING ADDITIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS TO DISCUSS ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLE PRESENCE IN BOSTON
WHAT: Officials from the US Department of Agriculture, the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation, the MA Department of Agricultural Resources, the town of Brookline, and the city of Boston have scheduled two public meetings in Brookline and one in Boston this month to discuss the recent discovery of Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) in Jamaica Plain and the eradication efforts, which began immediately.
Over the July 4th weekend, six trees on the grounds of Faulkner Hospital were found to be infested by ALB. The trees were removed on Tuesday morning, July 6, and ALB project workers immediately began surveying trees within a 1.5-mile radius of the infested trees to
look for evidence of additional beetles. Since then, no further infestation has been found in Boston.
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Information materials on the ALB are available at the following Boston and Brookline public library branches:
Boston:
West Roxbury Library, 1961 Centre Street, West Roxbury
Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
Roslindale Library, 4238 Washington St., Roslindale,
Egleston Square Branch Library, 2044 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury
Jamaica Plain Library, 12 Sedgwick Street, Jamaica Plain
Brookline: Putterham Branch Library 959 West Roxbury Parkway
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PUBLIC MEETINGS:
Brookline
WHEN: Wednesday, July 21 and Thursday, July 29
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. each night
WHERE: Brookline Public Library
Hunneman Hall, 361 Washington St., Brookline
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Boston
WHEN: Saturday, July 31
10 a.m.-Noon
WHERE: Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South Street, 2nd floor, Jamaica Plain
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