Day: January 17, 2020💾

Study Finds Spotted Lanternfly Costing Pennsylvania $50M Annually | 90.5 WESA

Study Finds Spotted Lanternfly Costing Pennsylvania $50M Annually | 90.5 WESA

The spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest from Asia that is wreaking havoc on valuable trees and vines, is costing the Pennsylvania economy about $50 million and eliminating nearly 500 jobs each year, according to a Penn State study released Thursday.

If the insect were to expand statewide, it could cause $325 million in damage and wipe out 2,800 jobs, the researchers estimate. The state’s $19 billion forest products industry would be especially vulnerable. Pennsylvania, with its vast unbroken stretches of forest, is the nation’s No. 1 producer of hardwoods.

Invaders at our southern border are not only taking our jobs, but our money too.