Laurel wilt quarantine district for towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown, DEC says
Sassafras trees in Sunken Meadow State Park that have been killed by laurel wilt this summer. Credit: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Five Suffolk County towns are now under a state quarantine order after an invasive fungus was found to have spread throughout the area.
A laurel wilt quarantine district has been established for the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Agriculture and Markets announced on Friday.
The invasive fungal plant disease was first discovered on Long Island last summer after damage was spotted in Dix Hills, Greenlawn, Hauppauge, Northport and St. James. Since then it has been detected in other communities, the DEC said.
As a result, sassafras and spicebush woody material, as well as any species of untreated firewood, is now prohibited from being moved out of those towns. The quarantine district is needed to "limit the spread of laurel wilt and protect vulnerable forest ecosystems across Long Island and throughout New York State," the state agencies said in a Friday news release.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton called laurel wilt a "serious threat" to the state’s native forests and shrublands.
"Establishing this quarantine district is a critical step to slow the spread of this destructive disease and protect native sassafras and spicebush," Lefton said in the release.
According to the DEC, laurel wilt is caused by a fungus that is primarily spread by redbay ambrosia beetles. The bug carries the fungus with it as it burrows into wood to lay its eggs, killing trees and shrubs in the process. There is no treatment for laurel wilt, the DEC said.
The fungal damage found last year marked the first time laurel wilt was found in New York and the first place it had been detected in the country north of Kentucky, according to the DEC.
The new restrictions require that firewood, along with any sassafras and spicebush logs, branches, roots and stumps, can only leave the quarantine district if they are first "heat-treated at an approved facility or chipped to less than one inch in width and length and kept on site for at least seven days," the news release said.
According to the DEC, signs of the invasive fungus include: sudden wilting of leaves; dark streaking of sapwood beneath the bark; and small entry holes on the branches, trunk or roots of trees or shrubs.
Huntington spokesperson Christine Geed said in a statement Friday the town would follow "all recommended public and professional educational communications" from the DEC.
Babylon Town Department of Environmental Control specialist Vincent Biondo said the town takes "invasive species and diseases seriously" and would follow all guidelines and mandates. "Our Department of Environmental Control has coordinated efforts with New York State on invasive species in the past and will continue to do so," he said in an email.
A Brookhaven spokesperson declined to comment, and a Smithtown spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the DEC, of the five towns in the quarantine district, only Islip has not had laurel wilt damage detected within or near its borders. The agency said the town was included in the quarantine because of the presence of the invasive fungus in the towns surrounding it.
Islip Town spokesperson Caroline Smith said the town was committed to partnering with the state to help contain the spread of laurel wilt and encouraged residents to follow the quarantine requirements.
"Taking these simple precautions now will help protect Long Island's forests and native plants for years to come," Smith said in a statement.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
What local police departments do to combat the problem Suffolk created a street takeover task force in 2024 that has broken up more than 100 incidents in the county.
What local police departments do to combat the problem Suffolk created a street takeover task force in 2024 that has broken up more than 100 incidents in the county.
