Invasive pest workshop to address threats to Maine’s forests

MILO — Invasive forest pest workshops are being offered statewide in 2017 by Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) through a grant from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. A workshop will be at the Milo Town office, hosted by the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District (PCSWCD), on Thursday, March 16 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. (snow date March 17) and will feature presenters Allison Kanoti, Maine Forest Service entomologist, and Heidi Reinhard, PCSWCD program coordinator. The statewide and local chapters of the Maine Woodland Owners are co-hosts.
The focus of this free workshop is to train landowners, landscape and forest professionals, as well as the general public, to identify current and potential invasive forest pests and their host species, to understand the threats to forests and woodlands posed by these pests, and to learn how to report suspected pest sightings or damage to trees that may be a result of pest infestations.
Invasive forest pests like the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), the emerald ash borer (EAB), hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and others have the potential for landscape scale damage to Maine’s forests. Although ALB and EAB have not been found in Maine, the emerald ash borer has been found in New Hampshire. HWA is established in coastal locations in Maine. The best defense is early detection by people who work with trees, those who enjoy the outdoors and those involved in community education.
Training topics will include the potential impact of ALB, EAB and HWA in Maine, current management activities, pest and infestation identification, pest life cycles, infestation reporting, host tree identification and community response planning. This training will prepare attendees with the necessary tools and information to help protect forests from these invasive pests.
Kanoti joined the Maine Forest Service as a forest entomologist in 2006. She is responsible for administering state forestry-related quarantines and cooperating with USDA APHIS on federal quarantines. In addition, Kanoti coordinates survey and management activities for several insect pests and responds to inquiries regarding forest and shade-tree insect concerns. She is stationed at the Maine Forest Service office in Old Town.
Kanoti received a B.S. in forest biology from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in forestry from the University of Maine. Between earning her degrees she worked for the forest inventory project in several capacities for both the US Forest Service and the Maine Forest Service.
Reinhard has been involved with conservation issues and the outdoors for nearly the entirety of her life; as an AT hiker since the mid 1970s, a volunteer and/or member of Audubon for over the last 20 years. Reinhard received her degree in Earth and geographic sciences. Since living in Maine, Reinhard has served as a volunteer for the PCSWCD particularly on projects related to sustainable forestry. Since becoming the program coordinator in October, Reinhard has focused her work on forestry and water quality issues in Piscataquis County.
All workshop participants will receive an information packet with fact sheets about the major pest species, a list of host trees that the species may be found on and other relevant information. Pre-registration is required by Monday, March 13 through the PCSWCD at 564-2321 ext. 3, info@piscataquisswcd.org or by stopping in at the office at 42 Engdahl Drive in Dover-Foxcroft.