Invasive Species Management

The FRCC works with local groups, landowners, and others interested in controlling non-native invasive plants.

Why are we concerned about invasive plants? Part of FRCC’s mission is to protect and enhance the values for which the Farmington River was designated Wild & Scenic – free-flowing water, high water quality, special scenic, recreational and habitat features. Native habitat is important to protect for many species.

Our Botanist has been leading the Invasives Program for FRCC for several years. She is available to consult with anyone interested in helping to stop the spread of invasive plants within our five-town W&S area.

• FRCC’s Guide to Invasive plants around the Farmington River
• A Landowner’s Guide to Invasive Plant Management

Betsy Corrigan, field biologist with FRCC and noted invasive plant species expert, continued control work of invasive plants, surveys, planning and research, mapping and documentation – all of which benefits the ecosystems along the riverbanks and floodplain zones of the Upper Farmington River. This program is in its 13th year and involves approximately 80 control locations. Outreach to partner organizations including Friends of American Legion and Peoples State Forest (FALPS), CT DEEP, Colebrook Conservation Commission, New Hartford Land Trust, the Town of Barkhamsted, Farmington Valley Trout Unlimited (FVTU), New Hartford Open Space Preservation Commission, and the MDC continues, as we plan for partnering control methods and plans for native plants in the 2023 season.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Control : The Peoples and American Legion State Forests are extensive watershed forests bordering the upper Farmington River, and are important for natural diversity, wildlife, and recreation. These forests have a large eastern hemlock component, critical for wildlife habitat, thermoregulation, and filtering of the streams that feed into the main river. FRCC has been working with Dr. Carole Cheah, Research EntomoloIMG_1921.jpeggist with the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, to continue control efforts of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) through the release of Sasajiscymus tsugae, a beetle that predates on HWA. Our native Eastern Hemlock is susceptible and severely impacted by HWA, especially when also stressed by drought and other native and exotic insect pests. Hemlocks here were found to have recent heavy infestations of HWA in recent years. With climate change, these forests have also been subject to months of severe drought in summer 2020, an abnormally dry spring in 2021, and extreme summer drought in 2022, creating stressful conditions for moisture-loving hemlocks. In May of 2022, 5,050 beetles were released on infested hemlocks along the upper Farmington River at the American Legion and Peoples State Forests, with the help of volunteers from the FRCC, Friends of the American Legion and Peoples State Forests (FALPS), and staff from the CT DEEP Forestry Division, and funding from FRCC. Biological control with S. tsugae to reduce HWA pressure and impacts appear to have significantly helped hemlocks survive and initiate recovery, 5 –18 months after beetles were released, in spite of other significant stressors such as the drought.

Please contact FRCC if you are interested in working with us to stop the spread of invasive species, or to report a suspected outbreak in your neighborhood or property.

Photo of beetle release on infested hemlocks in Peoples State Forest.