The Wickham Blvd ‘Rain Gardens’ in Sodus Point, NY were planted on July 16th. Village of Sodus Point landscape crew, Wayne County SWCD staff , Mayor Tertnick and volunteers from the Neighborhood Association, Rotary and Village neighbors pitched in to help plant the gardens.

Rain gardens are just what they sound like; a regular garden in your yard filled with native plants and grasses that are designed to absorb water. Rain gardens are working gardens and are designed to slow down the rush of water from hard surfaces, hold the water for a short period of time, and allow it to naturally infiltrate into the ground. This helps keep clean, fresh rainwater out of the sewer system that could otherwise carry with it pollutants like oil, salt, fertilizer, and pesticides.  Rain gardens are a beautiful and colorful way for homeowners, businesses and municipalities to help ease stormwater problems.

Rain Garden Basics 

This undated photo provided by Rutgers University shows three Longhorned ticks: from left, a fully engorged female, a partial engorged female, and an engorged nymph. A hardy, invasive species of tick that survived a New Jersey winter and subsequently traversed the mid-Atlantic has mysteriously arrived in Arkansas. No one is sure how the Longhorned tick, native to East Asia, arrived in the country, nor how it made its way to the middle of the continent. (Jim Occi/Rutgers University via AP)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Public health and agriculture officials are warning New York residents, farms and visitors to take precautions outdoors as a new tick species has been found in the state.

The Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets issued a warning Tuesday for an insect commonly known as the “longhorned tick,” which was recently discovered in multiple locations in Westchester County.

Health experts worked with researchers at Fordham University in the Bronx and at New York Medical College to identify the new species. The identifications were confirmed by researchers at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Officials say the tick can also pose a threat to livestock. The tick is native to the Pacific region but has been found recently in New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas.

Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? USDA is implementing Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Applications will be accepted through December 11, 2020

CFAP 2 will provide up to $14 billion to eligible producers of certain row crops, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, aquaculture, and more. All eligible commodities, payment rates, and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. CFAP 2 is a separate program from the first iteration of the program (CFAP 1) and interested producers must complete a new application to be eligible for payment for CFAP 2.

Application Options

Producers have several options for applying to the CFAP 2 program by the Dec. 11 deadline:

Using an online portal at farmers.gov/cfap. This allows producers with secure USDA login credentials, known as eAuthentication, to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. Completing the application form using our CFAP 2 Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center.

Downloading the AD-3117 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically, or by hand delivery to an office dropbox. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally-signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local FSA office when calling to discuss the CFAP 2 application process. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs.

Producers of commodities with payments based on acreage will use acreage and yield information provided by FSA through the annual acreage reporting process. Producers have the option to complete their application by working directly with their local FSA office or online through the CFAP 2 Application Portal.

For more information visit https://www.farmers.gov/cfap

NYS DEC’s new spotted lanternfly look-alikes poster

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a pesky invasive pest that feeds on lots of important New York plants, such as apple trees and hops vines. With the recent finding of spotted lanternfly (SLF) on Staten Island, it’s never been more important for people to be on the lookout for this invasive insect. Since SLF spreads primarily through human activity, we really can make a difference.

A spotted lanternfly egg mass on the left, next to a gypsy moth egg mass on the right (Photo credit: Emelie Swackhamer, Penn State Extension)

When you’re keeping a watchful eye, know that SLF can be confused with other common insects you might spot flying around this fall. This time of year, the eastern boxelder bug or even gypsy moth eggs may catch your eye. The NYS DEC SLF poster is here to help, with photos of SLF as well as some common look-alikes.

The eastern boxelder bug has black and red markings similar to those of an invasive spotted lanternfly nymph, but the elongated body and red eyes of the eastern boxelder bug help set it apart from SLF. You might find eastern boxelder bugs lounging in sunny spots or even in your home but not to worry – unlike spotted lanternfly they’re harmless.

With high rates of gypsy moth infestation in New York this year, you’re more likely to see their eggs than SLF eggs but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be on the lookout. If you find an egg mass remember, spotted lanternfly eggs look a bit like mud that has dried and cracked. You can find SLF eggs just about anywhere including on firewood, trees, or even cars. Gypsy moth eggs, on the other hand, are lighter in color and fuzzy in texture. You’ll spot gypsy moth eggs on trees, firewood, or piles of rocks, but not on household items like SLF egg masses

Everyone can help protect New York?s agriculture by keeping an eye out for spotted lanternfly. Be sure to download the new NYS DEC’s SLF poster to help your friends and family know what to look for. If you believe you’ve seen the invasive spotted lanternfly, please send a photo and the location to spottedlanternfly@agriculture.ny.gov.

The Nature Conservancy has been awarded a $193,521 grant from the Sustain Our Great Lakes program to restore and enhance more than 115 acres of wetland habitat in Sodus Bay by reconnecting floodplain  habitat and assessing road-stream crossings that prevent fish from reaching spawning habitats.

The effort is a partnership among Save our Sodus, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and The Nature Conservancy. With contributions from partners and private funders, the total budget for the project amounts to more than $362,000.

“Sustain Our Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) have been critical partners in protecting wetlands,” said Jim Howe, executive director of The Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York Chapter. “Healthy wetlands filter our water, absorb storm surges and provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. They’re vital to maintaining a healthy Bay and the benefits it provides―recreational boating, fishing, swimming and tourism―to our local economy.

The Nature Conservancy will first assess the effectiveness of 10 existing road stream crossings in improving passage for fish to upstream spawning habitat. Then, beginning in winter 2017 when the wetland mat is still frozen, an excavator will be used to create a more natural wetland with a meandering stream corridor, at least two acres of backwater potholes and new channels that connect streams to their floodplains. The revitalized wetland will offer new and improved habitat for species like northern pike, black ducks, green winged teal, least bitterns and potentially even black terns, a NYS-threatened species that hasn’t been observed breeding in the area in 10 years.

“The southern Sodus Bay wetland is one of only a few remaining coastal wetland complexes in the Lake Ontario basin,” said Gregg Sargis, director of ecological management for The Nature Conservancy. In addition to restoring wetland habitats for fish and wildlife, this project will make the shoreline of Lake Ontario more resilient for people by absorbing storm surge, increasing flood storage and reducing the amount of nutrients and pollutants entering Sodus Bay.”

This wetland restoration project will be a great benefit to the entire watershed community, economically and environmentally,” said Save Our Sodus Board Member Edward Leroux. “Not only will the project benefit fish and wildlife, but the improved functioning of the wetland will significantly reduce nutrient loading from tributaries flowing to the Bay. Projects such as this one are an important contribution to the preservation of our recreation- and tourism-based economy as well as shore owners.

This project will also build upon invasive species management efforts currently underway across Sodus Bay while helping to deepen partnership for the benefit of the region,” said Lindsay Gerstenslager, District Manager for the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District. “The District is glad to have worked with many partners to improve water quality and invasive species management over the years, and adding The Nature Conservancy to these efforts will broaden our scope and expertise.”

“We are excited to work with The Nature Conservancy on this important project,” added Gregory Boyer, Director of Great Lakes Research and Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY-ESF. “While this project will improve fish habitat in the wetlands, we are hoping it will have an equally important role in limiting the nutrients entering Sodus Bay via Sodus Creek. This should lead to long-term benefits such as improved water quality and a reduction in harmful algal blooms that have plagued the Bay in past years.”

Additional private funds will be needed to complete this vital environmental restoration initiative. The Helen & Ritter Shumway Foundation has provided a grant in support of the effort, and The Nature Conservancy will be looking to raise additional funds over the next year.

Sustain Our Great Lakes is a public–private partnership that supports habitat restoration in the Great Lakes basin. Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a significant portion of program funding is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a federal program designed to protect, restore and enhance the Great Lakes ecosystem. In 2016, the Sustain Our Great Lakes program awarded The Nature Conservancy $1.19 million for Great Lakes coastal wetland conservation projects in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and New York.

Full press release can be found here.

PRESS: The Nature Conservancy and Partners to Restore Sodus Bay Wetlands for People and Nature Sustain Our Great Lakes grant will help revitalize more than 115 acres of coastal wetland habitat along Sodus Bay

Contacts:
November 15, 2016 Contact: Kate Frazer
For Immediate Release Communications Manager
kfrazer@tnc.org, cell: 339-222-2014