Hilary Mosher gave a presentation on the work of the Finger Lakes PRISM, which works to reduce invasive species in the region through coordinated education, detection, prevention and control efforts led by a steering committee and working groups, and their priorities include managing infestations of hydrilla, starry stonewort, and water chestnut.

1. Hilary Mosher, MS, MPA
Associate Director of Invasive Species Programs,
Coordinator, Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management
Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Welcome to the Finger Lakes PRISM
Full Partner Meeting
11/21/19

2. Finger Lakes PRISM
MISSION: To reduce the introduction, spread and impact of invasive
species within the Finger Lakes PRISM region through coordinated
education, detection, prevention and control measures.
Structure of Finger Lakes PRISM:
• Steering Committee- Meets 4-6x per year
• Help determine funding needs and reviews RFPs, strategic planning
• Working Groups- Meets as a group, 2-3x per year
• Aquatic Working Group, Terrestrial Working Group, Education and Outreach
Working Group, Agricultural Working Group
• Help determine tiered ranking of species, species watch lists, other priorities
• Full Partner Meeting- Meet 2x per year
• Presentations on programming and work in the region

3. Priorities of the Finger Lakes
1. Hydrilla verticillata- currently managed in FL
2. Starry stonewort- infestations across the FL
3. Water chestnut- infestations across the FL
4. European frogbit- in the Lake Ontario embayments
5. Water hyacinth- no known observations
6. Asian carp- no known observations
7 Mile-a-minute- infestation in Livingston and Broome Co.s
8. Oak wilt- infestation in Ontario Co. addressed
9. Spotted lanternfly- no known infestation
10. Slender falsebrome- mostly Tompkins and Monroe
County- possibly a larger infestation size than reported
Invasive Species Priorities List

4. Priority- Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)
• ‘Very High’ NY Invasiveness Ranking
• Floating-leafed aquatic annual
• 1 seed, 3-4 stems, 3-5 rosettes, 10-15 seeds
• 1*3*3*10=90 plants- highly successful!
• Forms dense beds and impacts H2O quality
• Tier 3 species- goal is containment
NYS Invasiveness Ranking (TNC and NYBG)
High Ranking!

5. Invasive Species Tiers
• Ranked species to
tiers

6. Regional High Abundance!
• 67% of the Finger Lakes ranked species (n=72) are tiers 3
and 4 (high abundance)
• Most Tier 2 (low) species need more survey!
• Most Tier 3 (medium) species are probably Tier 4
• How can we get funding to address survey gaps and
regional needs!
• How we address invasives:
• Early Detection/Survey
• Prevention e.g., awareness
• Control Tiers and IS abundance
Tier 1- None Tier 3- Medium
Tier 2- Low Tier 4- High

7. • Hydrilla Hunters
• Water Chestnut Chasers
• Finger Lakes Macrophyte Program
• Terrestrial Surveys
• FLXplantID@gmail.com
Addressing Invasives: Early Detection

8. • Very difficult to detect in low abundance
• Aurora infestation- treated with various
• King Ferry- dredged 3/19, treated with copper 8/19
• Lansing- treated with copper, 10/19
• End of season meeting scheduled 11/7/19- Wells College
• Funding to NYSFOLA, MAC, and CLWN for Hydrilla
prevention, detection, and awareness campaigns
Addressing Invasives: Early Detection
Hydrilla

9. • Surveys at boat
launches and
marinas within:
• Infested waterbody
• Waterbodies near
infestations
• Previous
waterbodies visited
• Based on data from
Watercraft Stewards
• High-use, high-
recreation locations
Addressing Invasives: Early Detection
Hydrilla

10. • Working with Regions 7 and 8 on permitting requirements
• Worked with Region 8 to survey and remove water
chestnut from Braddock Bay WMA/Salmon Creek-
• Worked with partners to advertise pulls
Addressing Invasives: Water Chestnut

11. Total Giant hogweed sites managed (control and monitor) during 2015-2018 field seasons in Monroe and Wayne Counties and the 2019 field
season within the Finger Lakes region of the Great Lake basin
County 2015 2016 2017 2018 % Change
Monroe 121 126 147 159 31.40%
Wayne 154 164 186 183 18.83%
Total 275 290 333 342 24.36%
Work in Great Lakes basin 2019 Totals
Giant hogweed site visits 244 acres
Giant hogweed site surveys 82 acres
Giant hogweed control 24.2 acres
Addressing Invasives: Giant Hogweed

12. Photos of Baltimore Woods Nature Center, used with permission
Partners installing the station
as part of an Earth Day activity
at Baltimore Woods Nature
Center
Bootbrush stations in #FLX

13. Why Bootbrushes?
Powder Mill Park pictures from 8/21/19

14. Why Bootbrushes?
September 27, 2019

15. Why Bootbrushes?
September 27, 2019
Infestation estimated
to be 5-10years old

16. • 5 billboards in fall, 5 more in winter
Wildlife Forever Collaboration

17. New Invader!

18. Japanese Angelica Tree- Monroe County!
Many think that
voucher specimens
of native Aralia are
likely the invasive!

19. • Systemic, lethal fungus in sapwood-
prevents uptake & movement of water
• SYMPTOMS:
• Noticeable in canopy first
• Outside of leaves turn bronze, brown, or dull
at top
• Leaves drop as soon as symptoms first develop
• SPREAD: Sap beetles feed on fungal mats
under bark and carry spores, underground
root grafts between trees, or infested
firewood
• RESPONSE: NYSDEC Forest Health survey
and removal
• CURRENTLY: Ontario County
Foliar symptoms (Fred
Baker, Utah State
University, Bugwood.org)
Red oak most severely affected (die in 2
mo), white oaks die slowly (several yrs)
Invasives of Concern- Oak Wilt

20. FLX Invasive of Concern- Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
Native To: China, S. Asia
First Observed in NY: No reproducing populations- in PA
Impact: A huge agriculture pest- especially for grapes,
feeds on 65 different spp of plants (fruit vines, fruit
trees, and maples)
Control: within quarantine areas, scrape egg sacs from
host, soak in ETOH and thrown away
Spotted Lantern Fly, Lycorma delicatula, adult. [Photos: Holly Raguza, Bugwood.org] Lantern fly egg mass. [Photo: Holly Raguza, Bugwood.org]
Invasive Species of Concern- SLF

21. How to Plug Into #FLX
• Participate as a steering committee member
• Join our listserv- cce-flprism-l-request@cornell.edu
• Visit our website- fingerlakesinvasives.org
• Connect with us- FB, Twitter, and Instagram
• Join our survey program- Macrophyte or trail surveys
• Report invasives- iMapInvasives
• Two-way communication- stay in the know
• Co-host a workshop/presentation/program
• Become an ImapInvasives trainer- help ID!
How to Become an IS Warrior!

22. Acknowledgments: FLI Staff
Patty
Wakefield-Brown
Sam
Beck-Andersen
Nadia Harvieux
Trevor Massey Kate Des JardinLisa Cleckner
David Carr
Ian Smith