Prepare Your Community
Non-native invasive forest pests, such as the emerald ash borer (EAB), Asian longhorn beetle (ALB) and hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), know no boundaries. Their arrival does not just affect private landowners; these pests affect communities as well. Plan ahead to minimize the severity of impacts and establish a solid foundation for recovery.
START PLANNING NOW!
Educate yourself about the Invasive Forest Pests—Visit the Gallery of Invaders.
Learn about developing a Forest Pest Preparedness Plan—When forest pests such as EAB arrive in Vermont, this plan will guide your communities’ response. Remember- what you do now to prepare will strongly impact what you’ll be dealing with down the road. Read Vermont Forest Pest Preparedness: Planning Overview.
Form a local Forest Pest Planning and Response Team—Team members will help implement and guide the plan, keep abreast of, coordinate and communicate information to residents.
Brief the decision-makers—Meet with your community’s leadership and bring them up to speed on the issue. State staff can provide technical support with the latest information and strategy. Outreach resources for briefing decision makers are available in the Vermont Forest Pest Preparedness: Communications Toolkit (COMING SOON!).
Develop a timeline and who is responsible for writing the plan—$500 is available to high risk communities in Vermont to hire a consultant to write the plan. Apply for Vermont EAB Preparedness Plan Incentive.
Assess your community ‘s level of preparedness and prioritize action steps—This assessment will help your community identify the policies, protocols, resources (equipment, labor and funding) and other actions needed to efficiently and effectively respond to a pest infestation. Complete the Vermont Forest Pest Preparedness: Planning Worksheet (word doc) or PDF.
Formalize the plan and have it officially adopted by the Selectboard, Conservation Commission and/or other appropriate town committees.
Implement your preparedness plan.
RESOURCES
The following resources will help your community reduce the risk of introduction and spread, mitigate the impacts of these pests, and prevent future catastrophic losses.
What will happen when EAB is found in my community? Quick facts for town officials
Vermont Forest Pest Planning Frequently Asked Questions
EAB Management Plan for PA Communities
EAB Plan Example, Ashville, PA
Examples of EAB Community Preparedness Plans
Town of Edgarton, OH (estimated population 2,000)
Town of Whitehouse, OH (estimated population 4,000)
Town of Milford, OH (estimated population 6,700)
Town of Kenton, OH (estimated population 8,000)
City of Menasha, WI (estimated population 17,000)
City of Bowling Green, OH (estimated population 30,000)
The Vermont Forest Pest Preparedness: Communications Toolkit—contains outreach resources, example press releases, PSAs, PowerPoint presentations, and other educational materials for educating your community’s residents and decision makers about invasive forest pests. (COMING SOON!)
The Vermont Forest Pest Preparedness: Community Resource Toolbox provides links and background information on all aspects of pest preparedness and response.
Contact Caitlin Cusack (802-656-7746) for more information.
