"Destructive Southern Pine Beetle Appears in Northeast States"

"ROCKY POINT, N.Y. — The southern pine beetle, which for generations has attacked forests throughout the southeastern United States, is methodically making its way into the Northeast, destroying thousands of trees in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere.

The beetle, which resembles a chocolate sprinkle, is viewed as a threat to all pine species, including pitch pine, the predominant tree found in the 100,000-acre environmentally sensitive Long Island Pine Barrens region. It was first discovered in New York last October, about a decade after it appeared in New Jersey, officials said.

'Whenever you have a new pest enter an area where it's never been, it has the potential for massive outbreaks,' said John Wernet, a forester with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation."

Frank Eltman reports for the Associated Press June 20, 2015.