The Conservation Gap

This is the New York State legislative vision regarding the impact of invasive species:

The legislature additionally finds that invasive species are having a detrimental effect upon the state's fresh and tidal wetlands, water bodies and waterways, forests, agricultural lands, meadows and grasslands, and other natural communities and systems by out-competing native species, diminishing biological diversity, altering community structure and, in some cases, changing ecosystem processes. ENV § 9-1701 (2007)

But this vision is unrealized. These are the gaps we need to address:

1. There are no structured incentives for following the above vision -- no financial remuneration, no tax deductions, and very little official state recognition for restoring native habitats.
   
   

2. Many ambitious programs -- the Eastern Westchester Biotic Corridor (2002) have been largely forgotten -- with no mechanism for measuring progress or expanding it.
   
   

3. The GIS maps of open space are not up-to-date, and there is no task force or initiative associated with doing such. Perhaps the upcoming statewide 30x30 effort will do so. Seeing more neighboring properties that are protected (legally or actively) should help landowners realize connections of open space corridors.
   
   

4. There has long been a challenge/expense of monitoring lands at scale. There are new AI technologies which are able to use Google StreetView imagery and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to assess larger areas, but there has been no public or grant monies allocated to do this.
   
   

5. NYS passed a bill in 2023 (S2988) to direct the Public Service Commission to promulgate & regulations directing utility companies to trim vines (invasive or native) off of utility poles. No noticeable trimming has been done.
   
   

6. There is almost no incentive program for highway maintainers, from the NYS DOT on down, to use targeted combatting of invasive species, or devise strategies for promoting native wildflowers (compare with the Texas DOT Wildflower Program).
   
   

7. There are no incentive programs for private lot owners to help maintain right-of-way land owned by public agencies.
   
   

8. While the NYS DEC devised a control program for the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, there is no commensurate program to control the insect’s host plant (Ailanthus altissima or “tree of heaven”)
   
   

9. Tree of Heaven is classified as a Tier 4 ("Widespread") according to NY's PRISM (“Be strategic when deciding if / where to control”) -- but this translates to very few dedicated habitat preservationists practically doing this.
   
   

10. Most every park or preserve provides a blanket policy of "remove no plant." There is no legal allowance for dedicated citizen land-stewards to hand-pick emerging invasives from public property or preserves.