USDA - APHIS - Plant Health, Plant Protection and Quarantine

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Chronology 2000 - 2004

2004

November 2004 – Wood Debris Removal Program commences in New York City. The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation takes over wood pickup from the Department of Sanitation. The Parks department provides free on-site wood chipping and disposal of wood from residences within the Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan quarantine zones.
October 30, 2004 – ALB is detected in Linden, New Jersey, as a result of delimiting surveys around infestations in Middlesex and Union Counties. There are now four municipalities with infested trees in Middlesex and Union Counties, New Jersey.
October 5, 2004 – An ALB infestation is found in Rahway, New Jersey, as a result of delimiting surveys around infestations in Middlesex County. There are now three municipalities with infested trees in Middlesex and Union Counties, New Jersey.
September 16, 2004 – Final rule, effective September 16, 2005, is published stating that all regulated wood packaging material shall be appropriately treated and marked under an official program developed and overseen by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) in the country of export.
August 15, 2004 – The Asian Longhorned Beetle is found in the Avenel section of Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, as a result of delimiting surveys around the Carteret infestation.
August 2, 2004 – Asian Longhorned Beetle is discovered in the borough of Carteret, Middlesex County, New Jersey. This detection is approximately 20 miles south of the Jersey City infestation and will create a new quarantine.
July 19, 2004 – A final rule is issued, effective March 3, 2004, expanding the Chicago quarantine due to an infestation found in the Oz Park area while also deregulating the areas of Summit and Addison. The remaining quarantine is 35 square miles.
Summer 2004 – The Illinois project started collecting survey data using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
Spring 2004 – Treatment operations increased from the 2003 level. In New York, Manhattan and Islip are treated to ½ mile radius in addition to the band bordering the East River in Brooklyn and Queens. Trees are treated using trunk and soil injection techniques. Additionally, an operational pilot for pressurized trunk injection allowed treatment of some trees in Lindenhurst, Long Island. Illinois and New Jersey conducted full treatments within a ½ mile radius, and Illinois removed the satellite areas of Addison and Summit from treatment.
March 8, 2004 – An interim rule is published, effective March 3, 2004, to expand the area of Chicago quarantined to include Oz Park. In addition, the areas of Summit and Addison in Illinois are deregulated due to several years of negative survey. The quarantine is 35 square miles.

2003

November 19, 2003 – As a result of a public reporting of a live beetle, a new infested area is found in Oz Park, Illinois, just south of the Ravenswood quarantine area.
September 15, 2003 – The interim rule effective May 13, 2003 is affirmed as a final rule. This rule expands the New York City quarantine boundary to 132 square miles. In addition, a new quarantine is added in Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey, which is 4 square miles.
September 2003 – Asian Longhorned Beetle detected in Toronto, Canada.
May 19, 2003 – USDA publishes an interim rule, effective May 13, 2003, to expand the New York City quarantined areas in Brooklyn and Queens by 10 square miles, increasing the total New York quarantine to 132 square miles. Four square miles are quarantined in Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey.
May 2003 – Tree climbing and bucket truck survey contracts are terminated in New York due to funding difficulties. Survey continued by ground survey conducted by program staff.
Spring 2003 – Treatment activities in New York are scaled back due to lack of funding. Treatment occurred in Manhattan and Islip. First treatment applied in New Jersey and treatment area expanded to ½ mile in some areas of Illinois.

2002

October 10, 2002 – Asian Longhorned Beetle is found in Jersey City, New Jersey, as a result of a public report of seeing live beetles. The infestation is only 2.5 miles from the nearest known infested tree in Manhattan.
Spring 2002 – Treatment areas are expanded from 1/8 mile to 1/4 mile from all known infestations in New York and Illinois. Soil injection is used to treat over half of the trees in Illinois. Soil drench treatment is developed for containerized host plants in New York.
February 28, 2002 – A final rule to change the quarantine boundaries in New York and Illinois, effective November 2, 2001, is published in the Federal Register.

2001

November 8, 2001 – USDA issues an interim rule, effective November 2, 2001, expanding the Chicago quarantine in addition to adding a new area, Bensenville, in Illinois. The Chicago quarantine is expanded due to the detection of infested trees in Loyola. This expansion and the addition of Bensenville increase the Illinois quarantine to 30 square miles. Furthermore, the New York quarantine is expanded in Manhattan and Queens, which connects the Western and Eastern quarantines, increasing the quarantined area in New York to 122 square miles.
August 8, 2001 – Final rule to expand New York quarantines, effective September 6, 2000, is published. This rule covers the addition of Manhattan and Islip as well as the expansion of the Queens, Brooklyn, and Central Long Island quarantines. The New York quarantine is now 104 square miles.
June 4, 2001 – Tree survey contracts begin in New York. These contracts incorporate the expertise of commercial tree care companies, through tree climbing and bucket trucks, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the detection program.
May 24, 2001 – The PBS television magazine, Scientific American Frontiers, filmed ALB eradication components and detection tools on location at Calvary Cemetery in New York City. The show is hosted by actor Alan Alda.
May 2001 – Chicago's Northwestern University films a documentary on ALB at the Park Ridge quarantine area.
April 26, 2001 – New York begins insecticide imidacloprid trunk injection treatments.
April 17, 2001 – Mayor of Massapequa, USDA, and NYSDAM hold a public meeting to discuss upcoming imidacloprid treatments.
April 11, 2001 – Illinois starts their second year of insecticide trunk injection treatments using imidacloprid.
March 29, 2001 – USDA, State of Illinois Department of Agriculture, City of Chicago, and Chicago Aldermen hold public meetings to discuss upcoming imidacloprid treatments in the City of Chicago.
March 26 and 27, 2001 – USDA and NYSDAM hold public meetings in Islip and Massapequa, respectively, to discuss upcoming imidacloprid treatments.
March 21, 2001 – USDA, State of Illinois Department of Agriculture, and City of Chicago hold a press conference to announce the expansion of the quarantine area north to Loyola University, which will increase the quarantined area by 4 square miles.
March 19-21, 2001 – USDA, City of New York Parks and Recreation, and NYSDAM hold public meetings in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, respectively, to discuss upcoming imidacloprid treatments.
March 14 and 15, 2001 – USDA and State of Illinois Department of Agriculture hold public meetings in the Cities of Addison and Summit to discuss the 2001 imidacloprid treatment program.
March 13, 2001 – New York hosts press conference with Mayor Giuliani, Commissioner Henry Stern, and Director of USDA's OTIS research facility, Vic Mastro, to announce the commencement of imidacloprid insecticide treatments in New York.
March 7, 2001 – APHIS issues a press release to announce the commencement of imidacloprid insecticide treatments in New York and Chicago.
January 2001 – Chicago's Morton Arboretum hosts ALB forum for Illinois cooperators and personnel from ARS, LPA, and Forest Service.
January 2001 – Chicago USDA implements mass mailing campaign to green industry businesses.

2000

November 28, 2000 – A new infested area is found near O’Hare Airport in Illinois.
November 2000 – USDA, City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, and a representative from Senator Carolyn Maloney's office attend a public, televised forum on ALB hosted by Trees New York.
October 23, 2000 – APHIS issues a press release to announce continued restrictions on firewood movement in New York and Chicago.
September 25, 2000 – The Strategic Plan for the Eradication of Asian Longhorned Beetle from New York and Illinois is developed by APHIS.
September 12, 2000 – An interim rule, effective September 6, 2000, is published in the Federal Register announcing the expansion of the quarantine boundaries in New York City and Long Island, New York. This rule covers the addition of Manhattan and Islip as well as the expansion of the Queens, Brooklyn, and Central Long Island quarantines. The New York quarantine is now 104 square miles.
July 2000 – A new area of infestation is found at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York.
Spring/Summer 2000 – Start of ALB ad campaign "WANTED: The Asian Longhorned Beetle" in New York and Chicago.
Spring/Summer 2000 – Mass mailing disseminated to community group and association leaders in the New York/Manhattan area. Mailer included letter, questionnaire, and ALB literature (tent cards and citizen guide to beetle busting).
June 29, 2000 – Imidacloprid trunk injection operational treatments are completed in Illinois. 11,440 ALB host trees are treated throughout Chicago, Cook County Forest Preserve, Addison, and Summit to prevent infestation by the beetle.
June 2000 – An infestation of Asian Longhorned Beetle is detected in maple trees in Luther Gulick Playground in Lower West Side of Manhattan. This is the second detection of the beetle in Manhattan and will expand the quarantined area in Manhattan.
May 17, 2000 – Final rule adopted, effective January 27, 2000, to amend Illinois quarantine areas to include Kilbourn Park and Park Ridge in addition to expanding the quarantine around the Ravenswood area of Chicago. The new quarantined area is 16 square miles.
May 8, 2000 – Imidacloprid trunk injection operational treatments begin in Illinois.
April 2000 – The New Pest Response Guidelines for The Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), is developed by APHIS.
February 14, 2000 – An EA and FONSI are prepared and signed regarding the use of soil and trunk injection of pesticides in operational activities to control and eradicate ALB.
February 2, 2000 – USDA publishes an interim rule, effective January 27, 2000, which expands the quarantine around the Ravenswood area of Chicago and adds two new areas, Kilbourn Park near the Ravenswood area and a new satellite area in Park Ridge.
January 31, 2000 – The field test Environmental Assessment is published in the Federal Register.
January 31, 2000 – Secretary Glickman releases a press release outlining several USDA initiatives to combat invasive pests and mentions the upcoming ALB operation of treatment pilots.

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