New York Commits Over $5 Million to Fight Invasive Species — And a Tiny Beetle Is Leading the Charge

By Steuben Fish & Game Club | April 5, 2026

Category: Conservation News

New York State is doubling down on its fight against invasive species, and some of the biggest developments this spring hit close to home for sportsmen and landowners across the Mohawk Valley, Adirondacks, and Central New York.

On March 30, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced more than $5.1 million in grants to fund 51 projects across the state targeting invasive species that threaten our forests, waterways, agricultural lands, and local economies. The grants are funded through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), which Governor Hochul’s 2026–27 Executive Budget proposes funding at a record $425 million.

The funded projects span four categories: aquatic invasive species (AIS) spread prevention and boat decontamination, early detection and rapid response efforts for both terrestrial and aquatic invasives, research to improve control methods, and restoration and resiliency work to help ecosystems recover from invasive species damage.

What’s Getting Funded — And Where

The 51 grants cover every region of New York. Several projects are particularly relevant to our neck of the woods.

In Oneida County, the Town of Forestport received $45,000 to staff a seasonal aquatic invasive species inspection and decontamination station — exactly the kind of frontline effort that keeps invasive hitchhikers out of our lakes and ponds.

Neighboring Oswego County received $15,701 through its Soil and Water Conservation District to monitor and control hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) at Independence Park and Camp Hollis, protecting stands of threatened eastern hemlock.

Over in Cortland County, the Soil and Water Conservation District landed $79,569 for a regional boat steward program focused on AIS spread prevention.

And at Syracuse University, researchers received nearly $250,000 to restore the White Lake wetland complex in Central New York from the impacts of phragmites, an aggressive invasive reed that chokes out native wetland vegetation.

Other notable projects include efforts in the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, and Southern Tier. The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District received $207,650 to restore nearly 65 acres of degraded forest in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In the North Country, the Town of Tupper Lake received $75,000 to treat Japanese knotweed at more than 130 sites, and the Upper Saranac Lake Foundation received two awards totaling over $142,000 for native vegetation restoration and milfoil control.

The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Growing Threat

Among all the invasive species in New York, hemlock woolly adelgid continues to be one of the most alarming for sportsmen and conservationists. HWA is a tiny, aphid-like insect native to Asia that feeds on the stored starches of hemlock trees by inserting its mouthparts at the base of needles. Infested trees typically decline and die within four to ten years.

Eastern hemlock is a keystone species in New York’s forests. The dense shade provided by their canopies keeps stream temperatures cool — critical habitat for brook trout and other cold-water species. Hemlocks stabilize steep slopes, prevent erosion, and create the cool, sheltered microhabitats that support everything from black bears and moose to salamanders, migrating songbirds, and specialized lichen communities. Losing hemlocks from our forests would fundamentally alter ecosystems across the state.

HWA was first detected in New York in the 1980s in the lower Hudson Valley and Long Island. Since then, it has spread north into the Adirondacks and west to the Finger Lakes. The SLELO PRISM (St. Lawrence–Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management), which covers Oneida, Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties, has been conducting volunteer survey training hikes to help community members identify and report HWA along trails and on private property. HWA has been confirmed present in Oswego County and is suspected to be spreading along the Eastern Lake Ontario shoreline — putting the Tug Hill region and Adirondack Park at increasing risk.

The insects are most easily identified by the white, cotton-like woolly masses they produce at the base of hemlock needles, visible year-round but especially conspicuous in winter. If you spend time in the woods, learning to spot these signs is one of the most valuable things you can do.

A Breakthrough in Biological Control

While the $5.1 million grant announcement was big news, an even more encouraging development came earlier in March. On March 13, DEC, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and Cornell University’s New York State Hemlock Initiative announced a major milestone in the biological control of HWA.

Teams from New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont collected 12,676 Laricobius nigrinus beetles — a tiny, sesame seed-sized predator that feeds specifically on HWA — from Harriman State Park in the lower Hudson Valley. The beetles had been released there in small numbers between 2018 and 2020, with roughly 2,000 released in total. The fact that their population has grown to produce a collection of nearly 13,000 beetles exceeded expectations and marks a turning point in the fight against HWA.

Justin Perry, DEC’s Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health Bureau Chief, emphasized that hemlocks are a foundation species in New York’s forests and that their conservation is a state priority. He noted that successful biocontrol efforts like the Harriman collection are strengthening ongoing, science-based work to manage HWA through integrated pest management strategies.

Nicholas Dietschler, a forest health researcher with Cornell’s Hemlock Initiative, noted that the beetles have been confirmed spreading naturally up to 15 miles from the original release site — meaning the wild population on the landscape is far larger than what was collected.

The harvested beetles were redistributed across the region. Partners from New Hampshire collected 4,392 beetles and Vermont took 1,437 to release in their states. In New York, nearly 6,500 beetles were released at three new sites: Long Point State Park, Thacher State Park, and DEC’s Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. The effort builds on a similar cooperative program in 2013 when New York received beetles from North Carolina.

This biocontrol approach is critical because chemical treatments, while effective for individual high-value trees, aren’t practical or economical at the forest scale. Two insecticides — Imidacloprid and Dinotefuran — have shown good results and can protect a treated tree for up to seven years when used together. But treating entire forests isn’t feasible. Establishing self-sustaining predator beetle populations that can spread naturally and keep HWA in check over the long term is the most promising path forward.

Why This Matters to Our Club

At Steuben Fish & Game Club, we manage 268 acres of mostly hardwood forest in Remsen — right in the heart of the region where HWA is advancing. Even if our property doesn’t have significant hemlock stands, the forests, waterways, and wildlife around us are all part of the same interconnected ecosystem. Hemlocks along nearby streams and ravines help keep water temperatures cool and habitats stable across the broader landscape. The health of our woods, ponds, and the wildlife that calls our property home is tied to the larger fight against invasive species throughout the region.

As sportsmen and stewards of the land, there are several things we can do:

Learn to identify HWA. Look for white, woolly masses on the undersides of hemlock branches where needles attach. Winter and early spring are the best times to survey because the woolly egg masses are most visible and the insect is actively feeding. DEC and the New York State Hemlock Initiative both offer identification resources.

Report sightings. If you find HWA, report it through iMapInvasives (nyimapinvasives.org), New York’s invasive species observation database. Early detection is essential — infestations found early can sometimes be treated and contained before they spread.

Clean your gear. Whether you’re moving a boat between lakes, hauling firewood, or hiking through different forests, clean your equipment, boots, and clothing between sites. Invasive species spread on the things we carry.

Spread the word. Talk to fellow club members, neighbors, and hunting partners about what to look for. The more eyes in the woods, the better chance we have of catching new infestations early.

Looking Ahead

New York’s $5.1 million investment in invasive species control, combined with the breakthrough in HWA biocontrol, represents real progress. But invasive species don’t respect property lines, county borders, or state boundaries. The fight requires sustained funding, continued research, local partnership, and the kind of boots-on-the-ground awareness that sportsmen’s clubs are uniquely positioned to provide.

We’ll continue to share conservation news that affects our region and our sport. If you spot anything unusual on club property or your own land — whether it’s woolly masses on hemlocks, unfamiliar plants taking over a streambank, or suspicious organisms at a boat launch — don’t hesitate to report it.

Sources:

NYS DEC Press Release: “DEC Announces More Than $5.1 Million Awarded to Control Invasive Species and Restore Damaged Habitats Across the State” — March 30, 2026 (https://dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/3/dec-announces-more-than-51-million-awarded-to-control-invasive-species-and-restore-damaged-habitats-across-the-state)
NYS DEC Press Release: “DEC, OPRHP, and New York State Hemlock Initiative Announce Major Milestone in Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Biological Control” — March 13, 2026 (https://dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/3/dec-oprhp-and-new-york-state-hemlock-initiative-announce-major-milestone-in-hemlock-woolly-adelgid-biological-control)
NYS DEC: “Hemlock Woolly Adelgid” (https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/insects-and-other-species/hemlock-woolly-adelgid)
SLELO PRISM / NY State Tourism Industry Association: “Hike with Purpose: Join the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Learning Series” (https://www.nystia.org/resources/hike-with-purpose-join-the-hemlock-woolly-adelaide-learning-series)
iMapInvasives: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Reporting (https://www.nyimapinvasives.org/hwa)