DEC Announces Progress in Efforts to Eradicate Dangerous and Invasive Giant Hogweed

DEC Announces Progress in Efforts to
Eradicate Dangerous and Invasive Giant Hogweed

June 25, 2019 09:45 a.m.

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Press Release from NYS DEC (June 24, 2019):

DEC Announces Progress in Efforts to Eradicate Dangerous and Invasive

Giant Hogweed

Public Reminded to Report Giant Hogweed Locations, Especially as Plants

Begin Blooming

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced that statewide efforts to control

giant hogweed are making substantial headway in eradicating this large,

invasive, and dangerous plant. The Giant Hogweed Program, managed by

DEC's Division of Lands and Forests, is in its twelfth year and has eradicated the

plants from 623 sites, with another 448 plant-free sites being monitored.

"With the assistance of our local partners, DEC's Giant Hogweed Program has

made excellent progress in removing this dangerous invasive from New York

communities," said Commissioner Seggos. "DEC not only works to eradicate this

health hazard, but also to raise public awareness about how to recognize it,

avoid it, and report it. We urge New Yorkers to stay vigilant and report potential

giant hogweed to DEC, especially during the next few weeks as the plants begin

to bloom and become more noticeable."

can cause severe skin and eye irritation, including painful burns

and scarring when skin exposed to its sap becomes more sensitive to UV

radiation. As a noxious weed, is unlawful to propagate, sell, or transport. In

addition to health concerns, giant hogweed negatively impacts the state's

ecosystem by crowding out native plants and contributing to soil erosion.

Over the years, the diligence of DEC and its regional and municipal partners has

led to the confirmation of 2,484 giant hogweed sites in 51 counties. The majority

are concentrated in Central and Western New York. With

landowner permission, crews visit and remove these invasive plants using root-

cutting, herbicide, and umbel (flower head) removal control methods.

DEC today released a

, which details the progress being

made to identify giant hogweed and eradicate this noxious weed. During the

2018 season:

Crews visited 1,993 sites to survey for or control giant hogweed;
No plants were found for the third consecutive year at 118 sites, bringing
the total number of eradicated sites to 623 - an increase of 25 percent from
2017;
Of all sites previously treated for infestation, 43 percent (1,071 sites) had no
plants in 2018;
Crews removed approximately 678,000 plants from 1,271 sites during the
2018 field season;
Stream surveys were conducted for the first time last year. Crews searched
upstream for additional infestations that may have contributed to known
giant hogweed locations from seeds being carried downstream. A two-
person crew visited 317 stream-side properties, surveyed 37.6 miles of
stream frontage, and found 76 new infestations;
Of the sites statewide that still had plants, 71 percent (1,005) had less than
100 plants and are considered small sites that can be eradicated relatively
quickly. DEC expects many more of these sites to have no new plants in the
next few years; and
Larger sites are responding well to control. Many larger sites that required
herbicide treatment are now small enough to be treated by root cutting.
Fewer sites have large flowering plants and, in general, sites are patchier
than in previous years.