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RANGELEY — For the fourth season, the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust will work with the Maine Forest Service and Seven Islands Land Company to continue its annual installationn of spruce budworm traps. Multiple traps have been placed on four separate RLHT properties and will be taken down by September to be sent to the forestry service for estimations on population size and spread.
Spruce budworm is a native species of moth larvae in Maine that feeds on black and red spruce, larch, fir, and hemlock trees. A single tree can be defoliated in as little as two years’ time, and this rapid loss results in reduced forest value and an increased potential of wildfires. Spruce budworm outbreaks occur every 30-60 years and are very severe. The last outbreak in Maine was in the 1970s, so we are at a high risk; therefore, annual monitoring is important for forest health.
Although a native species, the budworm mimics many of the core traits of an invasive like its immense number of offspring, and through the results of climate change, Maine is continually becoming a habitable place for invasive and harmful species to spread.
Outbreaks or single trees can be controlled on the ground using pesticides approved by the EPA and the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, but the key to preventing massive tree die offs and other major forest disturbances is early detection.
Members of the trust are being proactive in an effort to make our outbreak control easier, should it occur. To learn more about spruce budworm, visit the Maine Forest Service at www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/.
Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust maintains traditional public access and uses of more than 14,000 acres of conservation land for recreation, education, and scientific study. To learn more about RLHT or how to get involved, visit rlht.org.
