In Buffalo's Delaware Park on Monday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on his colleagues on Capitol Hill to fund the battle against the emerald ash borer. The invasive insect has killed an estimated 50 million ash trees across the United States since it arrived several years ago. Schumer said, that he'll be "using whatever clout [he] has" in the Senate to get the legislation in the upcoming appropriations bill.
"We can not let this continue to happen. We can't have some of our most beautiful trees killed...throughout our forests here in upstate and Western New York, but particularly in a beautiful park like this, Delaware Park," Schumer said.
The bright green beetle primarily kills ash trees by burrowing into its bark and destroying the trees ability to bring water from its roots to its upper branches. Over 330,000 ash trees are threatened across Western New York alone.