27 Dec Gypsy Moth and Emerald Ash Borer Monitoring Project
NE IA RC&D is working with the Iowa DNR Forestry Bureau and other partners to monitor invasive species including Gypsy Moth and Emerald Ash Bore (EAB). The annual monitoring includes state and federal trapping programs that catch and count the invasive insects as well as bark peeling initiatives that attract and detect the presence of the EAB more accurately. Test results have been shared through public meetings and press releases conducted by both the RC&D and the Iowa DNR. During some years when the threat is high, NE IA RC&D has received funding to contract two to six additional trappers. Funding is provided through the Slow the Spread Foundation and other federal funding sources that are targeted to understanding invasive species movement and decreasing the damage they do to the forest resource.