HAUPPAUGE, NY—Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced the first ever Suffolk County Southern Pine Beetle Symposium will be held on Wednesday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Suffolk County Community College Riverhead Campus in the Montaukett Learning Resource Center (MLRC), room 107/108. The event will be held in the immediate aftermath of the East End brush fires that burned hundreds of acres on March 8-9.

“The infestation of the Southern Pine Beetle does not only have environmental implications but causes a serious public safety threat to the Pine Barrens and to our residents who reside in the surrounding communities as we witnessed just a couple of weeks ago,” said Romaine. “Following last month’s brush fire and the upcoming 30^th anniversary of the Sunrise Wildfire, we are being proactive and using this opportunity to further inform our communities as to how they can be best informed and prepared this summer.”

The symposium will include information on the following topics related to the southern pine beetle: public safety, fire prevention and mitigation, forest management efforts, beetle biology, homeowner education and more.

Suffolk County Executive Romaine will serve as the symposium’s keynote speaker. The following agencies and organizations are scheduled to participate: Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, Suffolk County Parks, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Central Pine Barrens Commission and Seatuck.

The event is also timely due to the recent fire in Suffolk County and wildfires throughout the country, most notably in California and South Carolina, and prior to the 30^th anniversary of the Sunrise Wildfire of 1995 that destroyed thousands of acres in the Pine Barrens and damaged homes and businesses.

All residents are invited to attend at no cost. For more information on the Suffolk County Southern Pine Beetle Symposium, go to suffolkcountyny.gov. 

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