Survey shows how pervasive invasive species are in Pennsylvania

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Matt Rourke / AP Photo

In this Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, photo, spotted lanternfly gather on a tree in Kutztown.

Airdate: March 23, 2023

Invasive insects, plants, pathogens and animals are wreaking havoc on Pennsylvania’s waterways, forests, trees and wildlife.

A statewide survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council found more than 100 invasive species that includes spotted lanternfly, mile-a-minute vine, Japanese stiltgrass, zebra mussels and more.

On The Spark Thursday to discuss the spread of invasive species and what the state is doing about it was Fred Strathmeyer, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary for Consumer Protection and Plant Industry and chair of the multi-agency Governor’s Invasive Species Council, who gave examples of the harm invasive species are doing,”Economically you can go to the marmorated stink bug that has we’ve seen do damage in our fruit crops millions of dollars and that just that’s something that has been been put out there in the last couple of years initially when as you know, it was more of a nuisance then it was thought to be an economic impact. You look at the emerald ash borer. Emerald ash borer has devastated the ash forest. You know that to the point where very few native ash are still around. A hugely profitable economic impact to that was an economic driver here in the state — baseball bats. And now we have very few ash native to the state of Pennsylvania. So, those would be two real quick ones. But here’s obviously a list — what has now become spongy moth to your viewers or to your listeners would be gypsy moth in the past, but spongy moth. And again, you don’t have to go very far to see devastation in our oaks across the state of Pennsylvania.”

Strathmeyer talked about stopping the spread of invasive species,”Every day, whether it’s our agencies, whether it’s nonprofits, conservation districts, they’re all working together to partner to deal with an invasive in their area. One of the things to remember is that invasives become very personal after a while. It’s about your fishing hole that used to go to or your area in the woods that you used to be able to walk to. Now, the undergrowth is filled with an invasive type of plant that no longer can you walk in the woods. It’s about the undergrowth that has been devastated in some areas of the state where we no longer have the regeneration that we need of the of the appropriate plant material.”

The state is working on a plan to keep invasive species from spreading on a regional basis.