Officials Seek Public's Help in Combating Beetle Menace

Federal and state officials are printing up hundreds of fliers and scheduling weekly town hall meetings as part of a growing public awareness campaign aimed at training residents to spot signs of the defestating Asian longhorn beetle and prevent the spread of the tree-killing infestation.

The effort comes a little over a week after the beetles were spotted in six trees on the grounds of Faulkner Hospital, adjacent to the historic Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain and less than a mile from Brookline. The six trees were quickly destroyed and experts have scoured the area for evidence of further infestation, inspecting some 1,800 trees.

State officials have also imposed a wood-product quarantine over much of Brookline and Jamaica Plain that will likely remain in place for 4.5 to 5 years, or longer.

The first in a series of public information sessions in Brookline was held Wednesday night, July 15, in the sixth floor of Town Hall. The two-hour meeting, which covered everything from identification of the beetles to the proper disposal of wood debris inside quarantine area, was led by Brookline Tree Warden Tom Brady along with a panel of three state and federal officials.

"The communication has been extraordinary with cooperation from local and federal government," Brady said.

At Wednesday's meeting, officials handed out pamphlets and flyers with diagrams of host tree species, Asian longhorn beetle look-alikes and infestation photos, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided wallet-size hotline information cards. Officials said pamphlets will be available in libraries, businesses, and schools within the coming weeks.

Conservationists are desperate to avoid a repeat of beetle infestations in Worcester, where 26,000 trees have been cut down since the Asian Longhorn beetle was first spotted in 2008. Millions in federal funding have been spent on the eradication effort there.

Though experts have found no evidence of the beetles in the 1,800 Boston and Brookline trees inspected since the discovery at Faulkner Hospital, conservationists are already talking about what would happen if officials decide to begin cutting down trees as a preventative measure.

Kevin Gooch of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said the state would replace any trees that are cut down, but would not plant species that are susceptible to infestation, including elm, maple, birch, and sourgum. Officials said the town may be less suscepitible to infestation because it's already home to a variety of tree species, including some that are less attractive to the beetle.

"As heartbreaking as it is to talk about cutting down trees, we're racing against the clock here," said Arlene Mattison, president of the Brookline Greenspace Alliance. "As far as I understand, there isn't any choice."

Officials have said parts of Brookline could remain under a wood-product quarantine for at least four and a half years as tree experts inspect and re-inspect thousands of trees. According to Brady, inspectors will need to re-inspect the entire quarantine zone a total of three times without finding evidence of infestation before restrictions can be lifted. Each inspection takes nine to 18 months and could take longer, depending on weather and other factors.

While under quarantine, residents who have their trash picked up by the town will need to separate out any wood debris larged than 4 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter so officials can expect it. Properties owners with out town pick-up must drop off large wood debris at designated sites still being set up by the state.

Chemical treatments can be used to protect trees, but officials say the beetles enter a tree through the center at the base and work from the inside, so chemicals may not reach them until it is too late.

"At this point we're following all the federal protocol," said Erin Gallentine, director of Brookline Parks and Open Space. "It's incredibly important that the community knows what to expect."

Although there was a false sighting of the bugs in Emerson Garden and no new infested trees have been found, Representatives from the Brookline Community Emergency Response Team urged officials to more information out. They suggested that mailings be sent to homes within the affected area.

Officials said pamphlets will be available in libraries, businesses, and schools within the coming weeks.

Wednesday's session was the first of three scheduled meetings. The information session will be repeated with updated research at the Main Library on Wednesday, July 21 and Thursday, July 29.