WNY EAB Task Force Meeting Notes
04-11-13 - 9am to 11am
Ecology and Environment, Inc. E3 Facility
P. Fuhrmann
Callins:
Mark Sieder - Niagara County SWCD
Maria M. - NYSDEC
Brenda Young - Daemen College
Attendees: (see attached)
Sharon Bachman CCE – Meeting Facilitator\
Subcommittee reports:
Outreach and Education public meeting 03-08 at Elma Town Hall well attended by public and private
sector with some members of the EAB Task Force. ~40 attendees
Presenters included Mark Whitmore, Jarod Spokowski NYSAM, Pat Marren NYSDEC and Jack Schifferli
Town of Tonawanda.
Sharon: EAB brochure in draft form designed to present science based info without bias.
Mark Lubera: Lancaster Arbor Day event is well attended and will distributes brochures and EAB info
from DEC (yellow tree tags)
Bonnie L.: some minor editing needed, add certified arborist info/link and establish a point of contact
for EAB info
Dave P.: would be good to have captions attached to photos of bark etc. to avoid confusion.
Sharon: will email pdf to all for review
Paul F.: WNY PRISM is evolving and has received administrative funds through Buffalo St College Dr.
Chris Pennuto, soliciting for Invasive Species WNY PRISM Coordinator
Fred S.: TOE is conducting ash tree inventory with volunteers
Paul F.: introduced Gerry Lichtenthal, Colden NY resident with woodlot in Allegany County who is
interested based on notice in B News Will Elliot column. Need to develop message and materials that
will address needs of diverse levels of understanding and need
Glen G/Sharon B: Plantasia was successful with poster boards and EAB costume (Glen G) a big hit. This
WNYSNLA event is well organized and attended annually.
Sharon B.: goal (technical committee) to inventory marshaling yards, chipping facilities, tub grinders
Mark L: Zoladz _____ visits TOL site on 525 Pavement Rd. (open to all) and grinds tree products and
transports to BioFuel Plant in Niagara County. Some problems with people cutting material for firewood
and dumping construction waste but is monitored by TOL DPW office along entry. EC Garage facility on
Cemetery Rd. has storage and capacity as well.
Chris P.: could volunteer person monitor for EAB at these sites?
Glen G: CJ Krantz Amherst compost facility charges ($5.???) for chips
Fred S: TOE refuse facility on Creek Rd. periodically has material chipped with tub grinder
Pat M: Lewiston EAB Meeting 03-07 was poorly attended by those likely to be impacted probably due to
lack of publicity. Need more meetings in Niagara County
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Bonnie L: much EC interest in meeting due to outreach efforts. EAB meeting 03-08 attendees were very
engaged.
Paul F: Town of Marilla Conservation Committee requested info on Invasive species and inquired about
‘a prior workshop for municipalities re: ditch and topsoil excavation and moving IS to uninfected areas’.
Marion Presna was very interested in a Marilla workshop that would address IS issues as well as EAB.
Fred S: need to target private landowners as well as municipalties, private landowners may not have
resources and can get caught off guard.
Sally W.: Monroe County presentations in school system by Monroe EAB Task Force was very effective
with material distributed to students.
Glenn G: other groups scouts, future farmers
Mark L: catskill PRISM program has effective outreach examples
Carl: summer farmers markets also good venue, Aldingers Farm markets in Alden and Lanacaster
Sally W: Invasive Sp Community Crisis Intervention combined with IS Control and Management Planning
within Outreach/Education events (may have missed some text here)
Paul F: Town of Marilla might host a “symposium” but could be a county wide event. Any Invasive
species outreach by PRISM or other entity should include EAB.
Carl: This symposium would initiate outreach and awareness to those who have only read or researched
on their own
Bonnie L; agree workshop/symposium should be open to all
Dave P/Pat M: Lewiston meeting was poorly attended again due to low publicity difficult to focus on
single Invasive Sp at large events.
Bonnie L: internships from EC or environmental firms dedicated to EAB or IS issues could do effective
work
Mark L: could do street inventory and other outreach task for communities.
Chris P: Buff State interns available annually. WNY PRISM will have a full time coordinator and four
summer interns with duties TBD.
Sally W: Task Force could manage interns for specific tasks/duties
Art T: Private volunteers/interns could work in all 8 counties where EC intern would be limited to EC
Dave P: SUNY - ESF interns are common with DEC and good candidates but need to be paid
Chris P: Staff to support all IS Control/management through PRISM would include interns and EAB
Paul F: E&E interns are paid positions to support project work in student’s field of interest. E&E is
looking at intern(s) to support IS control and management projects in WNY and great lakes region.
Brenda Y: WNY Environmental Alliance programs may have opportunities for IS and EAB Task Force
support as well as sustainability issues.
Sharon B: Spring EAB detectors workshops at Reinstien Woods in February was successful with ~20 at
first event and 10 at second
Pat M: Reinstein is great site for hands on work and future REAB events
Ed K: EC Parks Forestry could use those sites (Reinstein and South Park) for training for outreach.
Conducting a county wide DPW chainsaw course for town DPWs that can integrate EAB.
Fred S: critical to involve EAB ID info into municipal field crews and solicit observations.
Sharon B: Plantasia and WNYSNLA Cert Nursery Professionals are good targets.
Paul F: B Plantasia attracts 10K people every show. News Jay Burney article was very substantive and
informative. It provided limited information on pesticide treatments and options, with some misleading
assertions on wildlife impacts. No single article can cover everything opening doors for reader to
research further can be effective. NOTE: EAB Task Force should warehouse all articles and especially
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the submittals post meeting by Sally W and Shane D. re: treatment options and known wildlife
impacts.
Pat M: Wildlife impacts are subjective, Treatment issue/options needs to be addressed
Paul F: what is proper venue to respond? Do we ask Jay to do a follow-up re: pesticides wildlife
impacts? That may not be practical or beneficial, could lead to negative back and forth or unnecessary
conflicting opinions. What about an EC website section on this?
Bonnie L: EC site may not be best venue as it is not that well used
Mark L: Pesticide issue from past experience with conflicting interests and opinions would distract EAB
Task Force from mission
Fred S: just direct ash tree owners to qualified professionals and let each decide
Sally W: Michigan valuation of ash trees and pesticide recommendations address the issue well. EAB
Task Force may benefit most from ‘taking an educational stance and not a positional one’.
Dave P: let’s not dissect the article which was very substantive/informative, lets move forward
Sally W: Mark Whitmore is out of the country but will speak with him on the subject
Tim D: Hemlock wooly adelgid is also an issue in WNY beyond EAB treatment methods
Pat M: a response to Jay’s article on our ‘wildlife impact/treatment concerns” is not critical
Dave P: EAB Awareness Week….let’s concentrate on the positive press the article provided
Sally W EAB Awareness Week is May 19-25
Pat M: There is Risk Tree Workshop on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at the Beaver Island Clubhouse, Grand
Island, New York presented by NYS Urban Forestry Council. It’s not free.
Limited quantity of Yellow EAB tree tags available to highlight awareness. Durable, can be attached to
trees for months and removed/reused. May be last year DEC will purchase tags.
Mark Lubera: The EAB ID cards have ordering info on them as well
Shane D: Olmsted Arbor Day event 04-27 at MLK Park
Mark Luber: The Town of Lancaster Forestry Department will be hosting an Arbor Day Celebration from
10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27, at Westwood Park.
Art T: Buffalo's City Hall A celebration and exhibit of earth and ecology Friday, April 26, 2013 (Arbor
Day) 11am - 2pm. WNY ReTree will plant 710 trees in 11 municipalities and Buffalo First Ward on 04-13
and 04-20
Bonnie L: contacted Robert Knoer re: developing agenda for EAB Liability Workshop for municipal
lawyers with continuing education training credits. Very productive conceptual plan was discussed to
conduct a series of three EAB workshops: all elements of EAB impacts could be presented in one series
of presentations for efficiency.
 Biology and Impacts of EAB
 Liability and Municipal Economic Impacts
 Community Preparedness/Treatment Options
SUNY Buffalo Env Law Institute (can or will?) research legal case studies
SallW: will email legal issues webinar to Bonnie Lawrence
Pat M: WNY woodworkers group requested EAB info
Chris Pennuto: May 31 is ImapInvasives Training at Bflo State. WNY PRISM Coordinator position open, 4
interns will be part of program each summer with Coordinator based at Great Lakes Field Station Porter
Ave. Looking forward to moving forward.
Dave P: suggested rearranging room for meeting style
Paul F: will do
Sharon B: next meeting 9am E&E E3 on June 13th
Sharon B: Adjourn 11:10 am
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