ST. LAWRENCE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that is capable of devastating New York’s agricultural industry and threatens the health of our forests. SLF negatively affects the growth and fruit yields of over 70 different types of plants, such as hops, grapevines, and apple trees. New York stands to lose over $350 million dollars in apple and grape crop revenue due to the impacts of the spotted lanternfly. These losses will have impacts on our wine and beer industries as well.
Organizations around the state are working to prevent the spread of SLF. Both dead adults and egg masses have been found in multiple counties in New York, with recently confirmed infestations in Tompkins, Orange, Rockland, and Richmond (Staten Island) counties in New York State.
The SLF Spotters Program aims to raise awareness of spotted lanternfly while tracking the impact of the outreach effort. The program engages local businesses whose customers may be traveling from SLF quarantine zones. Participating businesses receive SLF outreach materials to distribute to their customers, who may be unknowingly transporting the insect.
The materials have a trackable QR code on them that when clicked brings recipients to the SLF Spotters Information Form. The survey collects information that is aimed to measure the impact of the outreach effort and to identify probable pathways in which SLF may be spread.
SLF is mostly spread by human activities, particularly through the transport of materials that have egg masses on them. SLF can easily hitchhike on vehicles, boats/trailers, outdoor equipment, or any flat surface (view a checklist of where to look for SLF).
By agreeing to distribute outreach materials to your customers you will be raising their awareness and be providing them with the information they need to learn to recognize and report SLF insects and egg masses and to learn what to do if they find SLF.
Click on the forms below to get involved in this program.
Do you manage a marina, bait/tackle shop, waterfront business, wine vineyard or wine tour, apple picking or maple orchard, brewery, or a business that attracts tourists?
Sign-up to receive SLF outreach materials to share with your customers. Handing out materials helps raise awareness of SLF and tracks outreach efforts across the state.
If your business has received SLF outreach materials through the SLF Spotters Program, please click the button below and answer a brief questionnaire.
The information collected will help to analyze the impact of the effort and learn of any improvements or needs.
One of the main components of the SLF Spotters Program is the ability to measure the impact of the outreach effort. Each distributed brochure has a trackable QR code that links to the form below. The form gathers information that will help reveal if the outreach effort has reached the targeted audience along with potential pathways in which SLF may be spread through travel.
Have you received SLF outreach materials that have this label on it?
Click the button below to help track the impact of SLF outreach across the state
The resources below can be used to implement the SLF Spotters program on your own. You can order outreach materials from NYS Agriculture and Markets and print off the SLF Spotter QR code labels to attach to the brochures you plan to hand out to businesses. Please include the provided letter to any business that participates. Feel free to use the provided script to engage with businesses.
Program Director Rob Williams rwilliams@tnc.org
Education, Outreach, & Communications Coordinator Megan Pistolese-Shaw megan.pistolese@tnc.org
Aquatic Restoration & Resiliency Coordinator Brittney Rogers brittney.rogers@tnc.org
Terrestrial Restoration and Resiliency Coordinator Robert Smith robert.l.smith@tnc.org
Conservation & GIS Analyst Carolyn Koestner carolyn.koestner@tnc.org
During this time the best way to contact our team is via email.
