Table Of Content

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Contents Introduction 1 Fire andForestHealth 2 NationalFire Plan: Thousands ofCommunitiesatRisk 2 Blowdown inMinnesota 3 Normative InvasiveInsectsandPathogens 4 InvasionofNonnative Invasive Species 4 Sudden OakDeath: ANewThreattotheNation’sForests 4 White Pine BlisterRust: Pathwaysto Restoration 5 GypsyMoth: Slowingthe Spread 6 Eastern HemlockForestsAre Dying: HemlockWoollyAdelgidontheAttack 7 ForestHealthMaps 8 Invasive Plants-Everybody’s Business 10 Mile-a-MinuteWeed 10 LeafySpurge 11 OutbreaksofNative Insects 12 Southern Pine Beetle: LayingWastetoSouthern Forests 12 Mountain Pine Beetle inColorado: Cooperative Management 13 ChangingEcologicalProcesses: SouthernAppalachiansUnderAttack 14 Southern Hardwoods, Hemlocks, andFraserFir 14 Southern Pines 15 — America’sforestscover747mil- — lionacres, ofwhich20percent Our definition ofa healthy,sustainable forest A condition areonNationalForestSystem wherein a forest has the capacity across the landscape for lands, 49percentareowned renewal, for recoveryfrom a wide range ofdisturbances, and bynonindustriallandowners, for retention of its ecological resiliencywhile meetingcurrent 8 percentbyStates, 13percent and future needs of people for desired levels ofvalues, byotherFederalagencies,and uses, products, and services. 10percentbyindustrial landowners.Theforestlandis aninvaluableassettothe Americanpeople,providing TheUSDAForestService’s This report providesasummary water, recreation,wildlifehabi- ForestHealthProtection (FHP) ofcurrentforestecosystem tat,andfuturetimber.America’s programworks collaboratively health issues inAmerica’s forests,however, continueto with Stateforesters, State forests. Therearefivegeneral facemanyrisks,includingfires, departments ofagriculture, and areasofconcern: invasivespecies,andfragmen- otherUSDAagencies, including tation. Hundredsofmillionsof theAnimaland Plant Health • Wildfiresand foresthealth treesandinvaluablehabitatsare InspectionService (APHIS), to • Nonnative invasive insects impactedeachyearbysevere protectAmerica’sforestsfrom and pathogens wilfiresandinsectandpathogen nativeand introduced insects, outbreaks.Thesedisturbances pathogens, andinvasive plants. • Invasive plantspecies arearesultofanexcessive The FHP programprovides • Outbreaksofnative insects buildupoffuelscausedby technical informationand decadesoffiresuppression. assistance inmanagementand • Changingecological control offorestinsects, processes ToassisttheU.S. Department diseases, and invasive plants; ofAgriculture (USDA) Forest foresthealthmonitoring; tech- Forfurtherinformation, Service inmaintainingthe nologydevelopment; and pesti- pleasevisitourWeb site: health andsustainabilityof cide useto Federal, State, http://www.fs.fed.us/ natural resources, President tribal, andprivatemanagersof foresthealth Bush announcedthe Healthy forestlands. ForestInitiative in2002. The HealthyForestInitiativewill implementcore components ofTheNationalFirePlan’s 10-YearComprehensive Strategy andImplementation Plan. Thishistoric plan whichwasadoptedbyFederal agenciesandwesterngovernors incollaborationwithcounty commissioners, State foresters, — andtribal officials calls formore activeforestand rangelandmanagements. Complementingthe Healthy ForestInitiative andthe NationalFire Plan, theWestern Bark Beetle andSouthern Pine Beetle Plans establishaframe- workforprotectingcommuni- tiesandthe environment through localcollaboration on thinning, planned burns, insect andpathogensuppressionand prevention, andforestrestora- The USDA Forest Service is committed to maintaining healthy, tionprojects. sustainable forests. l National Fire Plan: Thousands of Communities at Risk The 2000 and 2002 fire — seasons theworstseasons — in 50years demonstrated the scope offire risktothe wildland-urbaninterface and generalforestareas. OnAugust 29, 2000, thehighest dayof activity: • 28,462 peoplewere fightingfire • 84 largefires (100 acresor more)were burning • 1,642,579 acreswere on fire in 16 States Duringthe 2002 fire season, firefightersbattled 88,458 sepa- rate firesthatleftbehindover 7.1 million scorchedacresand costthe Government $1.7 bil- agehaveledto hugefuel(com- NationalFire Planin2001 to lion. Fifteen million acres bustibleforestmaterial) load- galvanizefire preparedness, burnedduringthe 2000 and ings inAmerica’sforests. As suppression, andprevention 2002 seasons, threetimesthe communitiesexpandinto efforts.Workingtogether, 10-yearaverage from 1990to forestsandrangelands, people, Federalagenciesand State, 1999. Thefire riskinmany property, andwatersupplies tribal, andlocalgovernments forestedareas remains high. become moreatrisktothe setoutto: Fire suppression practices, effects ofcatastrophicfires. • Identifycommunities overcrowdedandovermature threatened bywildfires. forests, snowandwindstorms, Asaresultofthe firesof2000, unprecedented drought, and the USDAForestService, along • Develop strategiesand priori- forestinsectanddisease dam- with itspartners, developedthe tize projectstoavoid, reduce, andmitigate firelossesin those communities. • Increase effortsto protect naturalresources, including wildlife andthreatenedand endangeredspecieshabitats. • Rehabilitate and restore forests. Mechanical treatments with prescribed fires reducethe risk of catastrophicwildfires. In2001, Statesandtribesiden- Blowdown in • Aresearchpartnershipto tifiedover22,000 communities Minnesota studythe storm’sandthe threatenedbywildfire, andthe One ofthelargestblowdown subsequent recoveryefforts’ DepartmentsofAgriculture and eventseverrecordedinNorth effectsonthe forestecosys- the InteriorandState governors Americastruck Minnesota’s tems. Partnersincludethe developeda 10-yearstrategic SuperiorNational Forestand North Central Research plan,A Collaborative the BoundaryWatersCanoe Station, SuperiorNational ApproachforReducing AreaWilderness (BWCAW) on Forest, andthe Universityof WildlandFireRisksto July4, 1999. Heavyrainand Minnesota. Communitiesand the 90-mphwindsleveledtrees Environment. The plan across 470,000 acresofthefor- In 2001, cooperatorsreduced embodies acomprehensive estand BWCAW dramatically fuelloads on morethan 10,000 approachtowildfire andhaz- increasing fire risksandeffec- acresoutsidethe BWCAW ardousfuelsmanagementand tivelyalteringtheecosystems Prescribed burns on 75,000 ecosystem restorationandreha- forthenext100years. acres intheBWCAWare bilitationforforests andrange- planned overthe next 5 to 7 lands. Implementingthisplan is The blowdownfell on already years. The burnswill reducethe nowatop priorityforthe dangerouslyhighfuel loads. risk ofawildfire spreading Departments ofAgriculture and Thosefuel loadingswerethe fromwildernessto homesand theInterior, aswellasmany cumulative effectofacentury otherpropertyandthreatening State, tribal, andlocalgovern- offiresuppressionpractices public safety. Conductedbythe ments. In 2002, fuelsreduction andrecurringspruce budworm research partnership, studiesin treatmentswere completedon infestations. Intermingled the affectedareaswillprovide 1.2 million acres, ofwhich humansettlementswithinfor- criticalinformation ontree 733,219 acreswerewithinthe estareasaddedtothe complex- mortalityand insectpopula- wildland-urban interface. The ityandurgencyoffire tions, help predictfuture condi- FHPprogramalsotreatedabout suppression. In response, the tions, andaidin reducingfire 1.6 millionacresto reduce risk USDAForestService initiated: risks. FHPprovidesessential ofmortalitydueto insects, surveyinformation forthe pathogens, andinvasiveplants. • Apartnership amongalllev- developmentand monitoringof TheNational Fire Planfunded els ofgovernmentagencies, the effectiveness ofthese plans. businesses, and citizensto treatmentson 406,770 ofthe implementan on-going,joint 1.6millionacres. Similarwork clean-upandrecoveryeffort. on 3.1 millionacresisplanned for2003. Untreated blowdown provides habitatfor bark beetles, resulting in bark beetle outbreaks and increased fire hazard in standingforest. — a Invasion of Nonnative MEETING THE Invasive Species Globaltradeandtravelarecaus- inganunprecedentedmovement ofanimals,plants,andmicroor- ganismsacrosscontinentsand oceans.Alltoooften,thesenon- nativespeciesareinvasiveand cancauseimpactsthatare extremelycostlytoboththe U.S. economyandenvironment. Whenbroughtintonewecosys- tems,normativeinvasivespecies havenonaturalenemiesandcan causeextensivedamage.Nearly 50percentoftheplantsandani- malsontheFederalendangered specieslisthavebeennegatively impactedbynormativeinvasive plants,animals,insects,and microbes.Thesespecies threatenbiodiversityandhave causedcatastrophicdamageto impacts ofinvasive species. processesandwatershedfunc- agriculture,forestproducts, Technologyincludes remote tionsandlowersforestproduc- recreation,andnatural sensing, computermodeling, tivity. Itreducesaesthetic, resourcesacrossNorthAmerica. mechanicaltreatments, biopes- recreational, andeconomic ExamplesincludeSudden Oak ticides, biological controls, and valuesandleavesforestssus- Death, emeraldash borer,gypsy conventionalpesticides. FHP ceptibleto invasiveplantinfes- moth,Americanchestnutblight, andAPHIS have started an tations. Deadtreesaddfuelto andwhitepineblisterrust. earlydetection and rapid analreadyhighfirerisk. response programto detectand InFebruary1999,thePresident promptlyeradicateanynew We don’tknowenoughabout issuedExecutiveOrder13112 invasivespecies. Invasive pests howthe diseasespreadsand its onInvasiveSpecies,establish- are dealtwith asaggressivelyas biology.We knowitisspread- ingtheNationalInvasive possible, within budgetcon- ing rapidlyandhas been found SpeciesCouncil.Thecouncil straints, beforetheybecome in nurserystock (particularly provides,forthefirsttime,a wellestablished. rhododendron) inafeworna- coordinatedeffortof10member mental nurseries, raising Departments. InOctober2001, concernsthat itcould betrans- thecouncilcompletedaman- Sudden Oak Death: portedtoand infectthe exten- agementplan,Meetingthe A New Threat to the sive, susceptible oakforests InvasiveSpeciesChallenge,to Nation’s Forests ofthe EasternUnited States. — addresstheExecutiveorder. Sudden Oak Death (SOD) The oak-hardwoodforestis Theplanisdesignedtoraise disease causedby the largestforesttype inthe publicawarenessandcontrol Phytophthoraramorum a UnitedStates. , theintroductionandspreadof newlydiscoveredpathogenof — normativeinvasivepests. uncertain origin haskilled USDAForestService responses Accordingtotheplan,theeco- thousandsoftreesincoastal, tothe currentoutbreak nomiccostofinvasive speciesis mixed evergreenforestsand include estimatedat$137billionevery urban-wildlandinterfacesin • Spendingover$5 millionto year. Californiaandsouthern research, monitor, manage, Oregon. Itkills coastliveoak, and educatethe public TheUSDAForestService Californiablackoak, shreve aboutSOD. spendsmorethan $97 million oak, tanoaktrees, andmadrone to controlthe introductionand andinfectsseveralotherplant • WorkingcloselywithAPHIS spreadofnonnative species. species, includingrhododen- toassistinimplementinga The control efforts include dron, manzanita, Californiabay quarantine andto regulate refining, developing, and laurelandbuckeye, evergreen thetransportation ofwood, deployingabroadarrayoftech- huckleberry, andbigleafmaple. bark, and nurserystockthat nologiestominimizethe Thedisease degradesecological White Pine Blister also inflictedsevereecological Rust: Pathways to damage in high-altitudewhite- Restoration barkand limberpineforests. In Whitepine blisterrust (WPBR), susceptible stands,WPBR can an introduced fungusfrom kill over95 percentofmature Asia, has decimatedseveral trees, effectivelyalteringafor- speciesofnativewhitepines estecosystemforever. acrosstheAmericanWestand Canada. Nativewhite pinesare Strategiesforcontrol include: an integral partofthenatural • Restorationofwhite pine biodiversityofwesternforests. foreststhrough development The ecological andeconomic andplantingofwhite pines impacts have been mostacute thataregeneticallyresistant onthet—wo large commercial toWPBR. Morethan 8 thou- species westernwhitepine sandacresofforestlands andsugarpine. WPBR entered have been plantedwithresist- NorthAmericathroughthe east antseedfromseedorchards andwestcoasts on European andproven resistantseed nurserystockaround 1910. In trees. theWest, itquicklyspreadfrom Vancouver, British Columbia, • Restoration ofwhitepines Oak mortalitydue to SOD reduces property value and increases Canada, souththroughthe through deploymentofsilvi- fire risk. Inset: SOD canker. Cascadesand SierraNevada, culturallyintegrated prac- andeastintothe Rocky tices, suchaspruningthe mightharborthe SOD management, andeduca- MountainStatesofIdaho, infectedplantationtreesand pathogen. tional programstostopthe Montana, Colorado,Wyoming, plantinginlow-hazardareas. • Developinga national SOD spreadofSOD. andNewMexico. Thepesthas detectionsurveyofoak In 2000, FHPprovidedfundsto foreststo detectnewinfesta- help investigatethe cause of tions ofthepathogen outside thisdisease. Investigationsled the known infestedareas. tothe discoverythatthepri- Surveys initiated inthe marycause ofSOD isaprevi- springof2003 are inpartner- ouslyundescribedspeciesof shipwiththe States of Phytophthora. In 2001, FHP Washington,Virginia, North providedadditionalfundsto Carolina, SouthCarolina, determine the extentandsever- Georgia, Tennessee,West ityofSOD inoaksand other Virginia, and Pennsylvania. nativeplantsinCaliforniaand • Cooperatingwiththe Oregon. Thefundswerealso California Oak Mortality usedto develop diagnostic and TaskForce, apublic-private surveymethodologiesforthe coalition, toprotectthe SOD pathogen, evaluate fungi- Nation’s oakforests. cidetreatmentsandotherman- agementstrategies, andassess • Implementingeffective SOD research, monitoring, thefireriskand otherecosys- temeffectsofacceleratedoak mortality. FHP continuesto supportcooperative effortsin 2002 to monitorthe disease developmentandspread. Forest healthmonitoringsurveys detectedthe pathogeninsouth- western Oregon. Inthefall of 2001, the OregonDepartment ofForestryattemptedto eradi- catethepathogen. Monitoring White pine blister rust killed 95 percent ofwestern white pine in effortsto determine the effec- forests. Inset: Aecia spores ofwhite pine blister rust. Quarantine regulations to tiveness ofthe eradication prevent the spread of SOD. treatmentare underway. 5 — Gypsy Moth: deadoaksarereplacednot Slowing The Spread withmore oaks, butwithother Since 1930, thegypsymothhas speciesthatdo notproduce as defoliatedmorethan 80 million muchmastforwildlife. acres offorestsintheEastern United States, withmostofthat Inresponsetothispest, the damage occurringduringthe USDAForestService adopted past20years.Ahardwood the followingstrategies: defoliatornativeto Europe and • Implementingprogramsand Asia, the gypsymoth arrived in providingtechnicaland the United Statesinthe 1800s, financialassistanceto States established itselfinthe oak andotherFederalagencies forests ofsouthern New tosuppressand slowthe England, andthenspreadsouth spreadofthegypsymothin andwestacross 19 States. the East. Occasionally, itappearsinwest- Old-growth western white pine White pine blister rustspread in ernforestsbuthas been suc- • Detectinganderadicating is also killed byWPBR. the West, 1926-1998. cessfullyeradicated eachtime. alongwithAPHIS, Stategov- Unfortunately, thegypsymoth ernments, and otherFederal — TheUSDAForestService has trees have beenidentified, and isnowapermanentresidentof agencies localizedintro- extensive on-goingresistance- twoseedorchards are estab- easternforests. ductions ofthegypsymoth in breeding programsthatbegan lished. In the PacificNorthwest, theWest. inthe 1950s. These breeding the resistance-breedingpro- Duringoutbreaks, mothpopu- programscontinueto discover gram supports 40seed lations often outpacethefew Agypsymothvirusand aerial and developWPBR-resistant orchards. The RockyMountain natural enemies, parasites, treatmentswith biologicaland varietiesofwhite pines. These Regionhas identified more than predators, andpathogensthat chemicalinsecticidescon- programshelped savethewest- 3,100 treesand planted 96,255 attackthem. The gypsymoth ductedover575,000acres in ernwhite andsugarpinefrom acreswithWPBR-resistant feeds onthe delicate firstflush 2002 have effectivelysup- extinction. In California, atotal white pineseedlings. ofleaves in thespring. It pressedorslowedthespreadof of1,329 provenresistantseed prefersoaks, butitwillfeedon the gypsymothin nine 500 speciesofwoodyplants. Northeastern States. TheUSDA Theattackedtreesbecome ForestService’sGypsyMoth highlysusceptibletosecondary Slow-the-Spread programslows attacks from otherinsects and the south-westerlyspreadofthe pathogens. Often, thetrees die. insectby 60 percentthrough The deathsalterthe forest concentrated monitoringand ecosystem dramatically; usually byusingenvironmentally Forestry of Dept, Virginia Tigner, Planting resistantwestern white pine seedlings restores western white pine ecosystem. Tim Mortality of hardwoods caused bygypsy moth. 6