Another invasive species threatens to drastically change the American landscape

[Joshua Szulecki]

Another one.

http://hosted.ap.org/dyna...s/B/BEETLE_BATTLE?SITE=AP

[Lostsheep]

...""This insect scares us to death because if it ever got loose in the forests of New England, it would be just about impossible to contain and it'd change the landscape dramatically," said Tom McCrum, coordinator of the Massachusetts Maple Syrup Association.

Calling it a national emergency, federal authorities have committed themselves to spending tens of millions of dollars to fight the invasion. They have sent in smokejumpers, tree climbers and other experts to identify infested trees.

The affected area now covers 62 square miles around Worcester and four neighboring towns, and at least 1,800 trees have been tagged for destruction...."

If it's anything like what I saw in parts of the Smokies, it will be devistating! The sights were nothing to be relished in.

Hopefully it gets contained, controlled, or something.

[Joshua Szulecki]

The smokies are getting really bad. I've watched over the last few years as it got worse, and worse, and worried about the two isolated stands near and dear to my heart that I know will get little attention if the problem spreads there, Sipsey, and a stand in Western Maryland. I just heard from somebody over on Photo.net that some parts of NE Georgia are starting to look bad, too.

But then... Maple trees make money, so we might actually get a solution on this one, but I doubt it. This one will be MUCH worse than the hemlocks if it gets bad, more akin to the chestnuts, where a huge percentage of all forests over a huge amount of terrain were just decimated.