Workshops:

Southern Pine Beetle Planning, Early Detection and Rapid Response for Land Managers

Registration is now open for the field day

Part 1: October 6th, 2022. Online via ZOOM

Part 2: October 27th, 2022. In Person Field Day
Register Here


Program Overview: 

Southern pine beetle's (SPB) northward advance continues to be facilitated by climate change, suitable habitat, and abundance of pitch pine trees. This neo-native pest has had devastating impacts on the forests and urban environments of New Jersey and Long Island; resulting in mass mortality and hazard development. Pine Barren ecosystems are particularly at risk in areas where the beetle has not yet spread. However, there are many preventative management and operative planning actions which can be taken to prepare for SPB’s arrival and reduce its impact.

This two-part (online and field) workshop is intended for land managers in the Northeast to proactively learn about SPB prevention, early detection, coordinated response and suppression, from those who have been managing its presence on Long Island since it was first detected in 2014. Speakers will include land managers from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission (CPBC), and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL).

Part 1 on October 6th will be a virtual zoom workshop covering topics including, SPB natural history, signs and symptoms, determining forest susceptibility, preventative forest management, early detection and monitoring methods, suppression response, and funding opportunities for SPB management programs.

Part 2 on October 27th will include site visits demonstrating first-hand the impacts of and best management practices for SPB prevention and suppression. 


Participants are welcome to attend one or both the workshops

Required for field day: Valid driver’s license/state ID or passport

Questions? Email Sabrina Cohn: [email protected]
PART 1: Virtual Workshop on Southern Pine Beetle Natural History and Management

Date: October 6th, 2022, Via ZOOM
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Duration: 4.5 hours
9:00 AM: Welcome and Commission Introduction
  • Judy Jakobsen, Executive Director, Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission
  • Objectives of the day
  • Follow up field day details

9:05 AM: Natural History and Signs and Symptoms of SPB
  • Chris Steigerwald, Forestry Technician, NYS DEC
  • Sabrina Cohn, Ecological Field Specialist, Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission

9:35 AM: Setting the Stage
  • Jessica Cancelliere, Research Scientist, NYS DEC Forest Health Diagnostic Lab
  • Establishing the Problem
  • Early Challenges/Lessons Learned

10:05 AM: Determining Forest Susceptibility
  • Robert Cole, Forester, NYS DEC Division of Lands and Forest, Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  • Gathering Existing Data for Decision Making
  • Jason Denham, Supervising Forester, NYS DEC Bureau of Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health
  • Developing Hazard Models

10:35 AM: BREAK/QUESTIONS

10:45 AM: Preventive Forest Management
  • Nathan Hudson, SUNY RF Research Specialist, Division of Lands & Forests, Bureau of Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health, NYS DEC
  • Thinning
  • Polly Weigand, Science and Stewardship Program Manager, Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission
  • Restoration
  • Fire

11:15 AM: Early Detection and Monitoring
  • Jessica Cancelliere, Research Scientist, NYS DEC Forest Health Diagnostic Lab
  • Kevin Dodds, Forest Entomologist, U.S. Forest Service
  • Monitoring Trapping
  • Detection Trapping
  • Methods & Regional Results

11:45: BREAK/QUESTIONS

12:00 PM: Monitoring and Response
  • Robert Cole, Forester, NYS DEC Division of Lands and Forest, Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  • Establishing Incident Command System
  • Nathan Hudson, SUNY RF Research Specialist, Division of Lands & Forests, Bureau of Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health, NYS DEC
  • Aerial surveying
  • Plane and UAS
  • Ground Truthing
  • Suppression Techniques

12:30 PM: Funding and Resources
  • Speaker TBD
  • Public Lands
  • John Wernet, Supervising Forester, NYS DEC Division of Lands & Forests, Region 1
  • Private Lands

1:00 PM: Final Questions and Wrap Up
  
PART 2: Field Day
Date: October 27th
Location: Central Pine Barrens, Long Island NY

REGISTRATION OPEN
AGENDA

Date: October 27th, 2022
Location: Central Pine Barrens, Long Island, NY

9:00 AM: Firemens Field In Brookhaven (Back Field), 725 NY-25, Ridge, NY 11961
  • Recent large scale SPB suppression cutting site

10:30 AM: Brookhaven National Laboratory, 98 Rochester St, Upton, NY 11973 (Valid Drivers License or Federal ID Required)
  • SPB Impact, Unmanaged Infestation
  • Signs and Symptoms

12:00 PM: Lunch @ Brookhaven National Lab, Berkner Hall (Bldg. 488), Lewis Rd, Upton, NY 11973

1:30 PM: Rocky Point State Pine Barrens Preserve, Rocky Point, NY
  • Preventative Forest Management
  • Thinning
  • Prescribed Fire

3:00 PM: Concluding Remarks
Questions?
Email Sabrina Cohn: [email protected]
The Central Pine Barrens Commission was established by New York State in 1993 to manage land use within the Central Pine Barrens of Long Island in order to protect the region’s vital natural, agricultural, historical, cultural, and recreational resources.