SAUGERTIES, NY (AP) -- Sen. Charles Schumer says he's working to get about $1.25 million in federal money to fight the emerald ash borer and teach people how to stop the spread of the tree-killing insect.
At a Hudson Valley campground on Wednesday, Schumer said the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service have the authority to tap into existing funds to fight the beetle.
The beetle, an invasive species from Asia, was detected in Michigan in 2002 and has wiped out millions of ash trees there. It has since been found in many states and showed up in western New York last year. This summer, it has been found in Ulster County. Purple traps that resemble box kites have been hung in trees all over the state to catch the beetles to monitor their spread.
Schumer said the ash borer has the potential to wreak havoc for businesses in a number of industries, including furniture makers, lumber mills, and sporting goods manufacturers.
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