Officials in coastal Massachusetts are sounding the alarm after confirming the presence of a highly destructive forest pest that has already reshaped ecosystems across the Northeast.
What’s happening?
Town officials in Falmouth confirmed the presence of the southern pine beetle, an insect considered one of the most destructive forest pests in the region.
While the beetle is native to the U.S., it was rarely seen this far north until the past decade. It was first detected in Massachusetts in 2015 and has since killed large numbers of pine trees across Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
“The Town of Falmouth is now working in collaboration with Barnstable County officials to develop a local response plan … to allow private property owners to report any suspected damage to trees on their property,” Tree Warden Jeremiah Pearson said in a CapeCod.com report…