NY Sues over Invasive Pests

Asian longhorned beetles (Anoplophora glabripennis)

The states of New York, California, Connecticut and Illinois are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for failing to impose effective controls against destructive insects that enter the country in shipping pallets and other wooden packaging.

Invasive insect pests - - such as the Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), and pine shoot beetle (Tomicus piniperda) - enter the country in wooden pallets and other packaging made from raw wood. These pests have caused significant damage to trees in New York City, Long Island, Chicago and other communities. Thousands of trees have been destroyed in an effort to prevent the spread of these pests, which have few local predators or diseases to kill them. If these destructive insects spread from U.S. ports of entry into the nation's forests, they could further damage the timber, tree nursery, fruit orchard, maple syrup, and tourism industries.

Read more on the lawsuit

More information on the Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, and pine shoot beetle