Category: forest pest insects

Actions USDA Could Take to Better Protect Our Forests

ohia trees killed by ROD near Pahoa, Hawai`i; with JB Friday; photo by F.T Campbell … APHIS has not applied NAPPRA to this pathogen

As I have documented numerous times in these blogs, [see here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here] forests throughout the world are being reshaped by rising numbers of introduced, non-native pathogens. Once established, these diseases are nearly impossible to contain, much less eradicate.

While the worst effect of such bioinvasions is widespread mortality of host species, even “lesser” results produce significant changes in the impacted ecosystems.

I believe that the international phytosanitary “system” adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and amended by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in the mid-1990s impedes efforts to prevent introductions of pathogens. These rules require unattainable levels of certainty about an organism’s impacts before it can be restricted. Scientists such as Haoran Wu and Kenneth Raffa have called for phytosanitary approaches that will be more effective because they are realistic, reflect the true level of  threat, and the limits of current science. I agree and have repeated their calls.

How Well Is This “System” Keeping Pathogens At Bay?

  • If the world’s phytosanitary system worked well, we should be seeing fewer high-risk forest pathogens being introduced to new countries. Instead, examples abound of pests invading new ecosystems in the post-WTO/IPPC era: Austropuccinia psdii — detected in Hawai`i in 2005, Japan in 2009, Australia in 2010, China in 2011, New Caledonia and South Africa in 2013, Indonesia and Singapore in 2016, and New Zealand in 2017.
  • Phytophthora ramorum – 8 to 14 additional introductions to California after its initial detection.
  • Fusarium disease vectored by beetles in the Euwallaceae genus:
    • Euwallacea fornicatus s.s.— detected in southern California in 2003, Hawai`i in 2007, Israel in 2009, in South Africa in 2012, in Australia in 2021, and in Argentina and Uruguay in 2023 and 2024 . The haplotype detected in South America and several European greenhouses differs from that established elsewhere.
    • E. kuroshio detected in southern California in 2013; has spread to nearby Mexico  
    • E. interjectus detected in central California in 2024.
  • Boxwood blight fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata — first detected in the Caucuses in 2010 and the US in 2011. Now established in at least 24 countries in three geographic areas: Europe and western Asia; New Zealand; and North America.  Boxwood blight has caused rapid and intensive defoliation of native stands of Buxus sempervirens. Although disease was detected in United Kingdom in the mid-1990s, the causal agent was not determined until 2002.
  • Beech leaf disease caused by the nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii — detected near Cleveland, Ohio, in 2012. Has since spread east to the Atlantic Ocean, south to Virginia, north into Ottawa.
  • Phytophthora austrocedrii — detected in nurseries in Ohio and Oregon in 2024. Previously known from Argentina and in England and Scotland. At the latter location it is causing mortality of native Juniperus and introduced Cupressaceae. See here and here.

Most of these pathogens were unknown at the time they were discovered – because they were causing disease in the invaded ecosystems.

beech leaf disease symptoms in northern Virginia; photo by F.T. Campbell

In the Face of International Failures, How Can USDA’s APHIS Succeed?

When countries choose to prioritize preventing bioinvasions, they can impose more restrictive controls than those implemented by the WTO/IPPC system.  

I urge USDA to more proactively use its authority to protect America’s plant resources. In particular, I urge USDA leaders to use the NAPPRA authority more effectively and quickly. This allows the agency to temporarily prohibit importation of plants that host potentially damaging pathogens. ). https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-imports/nappra

We Americans can’t protect our forests from pathogens without APHIS responding more promptly to recent detections of pathogens in North America and on Pacific islands. Recent events are not encouraging.

The agency did undertake an analysis of Phytophthora austrocedrii after it was detected in nurseries in two states. Unfortunately, in my view, APHIS and the states decided the pathogen was too widespread so they dropped any idea of regulating it. This was despite the apparent threat to junipers across the country. See here and here. P. austrocedri also attacks cypress trees, including Port-Orford cedar, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana. USFS scientists recently announced success in breeding POC trees resistant to a different pathogen.    

There are no indications that APHIS will respond to detection of a new pathogen causing wilt disease in elms (Plenodomus tracheiphilus) recently discovered in Alberta, Canada. The pathogen is spread primarily through movement of infected plant material, including on asymptomatic material. Current U.S. regulations do not prohibit importation of plants or cut greenery in the Ulmus genus from Canada. Beyond the risk associated with elm material, I think it is probable that this pathogen also survives on plants in additional taxa, since it was formerly known for causing disease on citrus trees.

Although APHIS has classified Leptosillia pistaciae as a federal quarantine pest, I have learned of no response to detection of the pathogen on the native California shrub, lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia), in 2019.

Rhus integrifolia – host of Leptosillia pistaciae

Has APHIS Changed its Practices in Response to Recent Detections?

We’ve known about gaps and weaknesses in APHIS’ approach for a long time. Here are specifics.

Has APHIS upgraded its attention to nematodes – as should have been prompted by detection of the beech leaf disease nematode (above)  and as recommended by Kantor et al.?

Has APHIS changed any of its practices or policies in response to detection of plant and human pathogens associated with wooden handicrafts from countries other than China? Or wood pieces used for unanticipated purposes, e.g., to decorate aquaria? All 31 fungal taxa detected by one of these studies were viable despite having been subjected to various phytosanitary requirements.   

USDA has no authority to regulate organisms that pose a risk to non-plant hosts, like us humans! Has APHIS contacted officials at the relevant agency?

Does APHIS respond to detections abroad when pests attack congeners of North American trees? I have blogged about several — see here, here, here and here — detected in Europe or Asia that attack cypress, magnolia, dogwood, Persea, and oaks. PestLens — an alert system created by APHIS — reported these.             

How has APHIS incorporated the findings at various “sentinel garden” projects? And the wider implications of findings by Eliana Torres Bedoya and Enrico Bonello regarding findings on asymptomatic plants?  

How is APHIS applying the impact assessment tools developed (for insects) by Ashley Schulz and Angela Mech? Has APHIS incorporated Kenneth Raffa’s advice about the strengths and weaknesses of various prediction tools?

I wonder whether APHIS has responded in any way to the rash of woodborer introductions on the west coast, including three species in the invasive shot hole borer complex and the Mediterranean oak borer. Has the agency explored the threat that the spotted poplar borer (Agrilus fleischeri) – another wood-boring beetle native to northern Asia – might pose to North American Populus species? Canada has twice intercepted the species on solid wood packaging material .  

USDA APHIS is explicitly not a research agency. However, it claims that its decisions are science-based. In my view, this means APHIS has a responsibility to respond to scientific findings (such as those  above) and to bring about research aimed at answering pertinent questions, e.g., those related to risks of pest introduction and establishment, effective detection and management technologies, etc.

APHIS has occasionally done this:

  • It established the NORS-DUC research facility to study what aspects of nursery management facilitate establishment of Phytophthora ramorum.
  • It enabled and participated in several studies of wood-borer introduction via wood packaging, including those by Robert Haack and colleagues (see blogs on this website under the category “wood packaging”).
  • It enabled and participated in a study of introduction pathways that included plants-for-planting – relying on 2009 data. (Liebhold et al. 2012)  
  • Did APHIS support the study by Li et al. to evaluate the vulnerability of two oak and two pine species to 111 fungi associated with Old World bark and ambrosia beetles?

APHIS could do much more to determine whether North American trees are vulnerable to pathogens and arthropods detected on the congeners in trade partner countries. Opportunities include:

  • studying which North American species might be vulnerable to the growing number of the 38 new Phytophthora species detected overseas. This would be a monumental task:  216 species have been recognized in the genus. I have focused specifically on the 38 species detected by Jung, Brasier, and others in Vietnam and now the 18 Phytophthora species detected in the Alps.  (I have already noted that APHIS and the states dropped any idea of regulating one of those species, P. austrocedrii).
  • Regarding P. ramorum specifically, scientists now recognize 12 genetic strains; 8 are in Southeast Asia, a ninth (EU2) in Europe. How likely is it that some of these will be introduced to the U.S.? Three strains are known to be established in western North American forests – NA1, NA2, and EU1.

In addition, new hosts continue to be identified. APHIS has pledged to update the host list annually. In the past I have criticized APHIS for not accepting hosts identified in the United Kingdom.

While APHIS is not well-funded, it has largely escaped budget slashing by “DOGE,” other Trump Administration cuts, and congressional decreases. Scientific expertise at the USDA Forest Service has been shrinking for decades (see Chapter 6). Now, loss of expertise has reached crisis levels. The result will be less capacity to assist APHIS in evaluating pest risks and research needs.

Earlier, I noted the importance of APHIS using its full NAPPRA authority.  Unfortunately, the record is not encouraging here, either.

Since the agency gained this authority in 2011, it has adopted lists of species temporarily prohibited for importation only three times – in 2013, 2017, and 2021. I complained that the last action was tardy and provided insufficient protection to Hawai’i’s unique flora arising from multiple strains of the ‘ōhi‘a rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii and here. Even worse, four years after promising to close the loophole that allowed continued imports of cut flowers and foliage – the most likely pathway by which the rust was introduced to Hawai`i, APHIS has not proposed the necessary rule.

Pathogens are more difficult to detect and manage than invasive insects. The “disease triangle” is complex! Numerous pathways are involved! But they also get less attention – and this reflects unwise decisions by agency leaders. I suggest that they should respond to this complexity by adding resources. Voglmayr et al. (full reference at the end of this blog) also called for more attention to pathogens. Kantor et al. noted that nematodes are also neglected.

Of course, I have repeatedly urged APHIS leadership to enhance enforcement of regulations governing imports of wood packaging. One suggestion is that it prohibit importation of Chinese wood packaging  because of its 25-year record of not complying with – first – U.S. and Canadian regulations and – later – the international regulation known as ISPM#15.

Information Gaps Impede APHIS’ Domestic Program

I have criticized APHIS’ failure to find answers to several questions important to managing the sudden oak death pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. Like the many questions listed earlier, these also need priority attention.

APHIS has regulated interstate movement of nursery stock to contain P. ramorum for over 20 years. I appreciate its creation of NORS-DUC. But it is also responsible for protecting natural systems in regions not yet invaded, e.g, in the East. APHIS should have studied these issues years ago, given the frequency with which pests spread nationwide via the nursery trade.

Other pathogen systems also have genetic variation that might be important in determining pest-host relationships. As of 2022, scientists had identified 43 haplotypes (genetic variants) of E. fornicatus s.s. worldwide, with the greatest diversity in several Asian countries (P. Rugman-Jones, pers. comm). Other species of plant pathogens also have several haplotypes. 

Forests At Risk Outside of North America

North American forests are not alone in being besieged by non-native pathogens. Their numbers have been rising also in Europe and Oceania. The record is less clear in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Reports of tree pathogens in Europe began rising suddenly after the 1980s – admittedly 15 years before the WTO took effect. By 2012, more than half of infectious plant diseases in Europe were caused by introduction of previously unknown pathogens  https://www.nivemnic.us/?p=5164

Antonelli et al. (full citation at the end of this blog) report that three previously undetected species of Phytophthora have been detected in European nurseries since 2016. Voglmayr et al. reported that the number of alien fungi in Austria increased 4.6-fold over 20 years. Eighty percent were plant pathogens. The introductory pathway was unclear for the vast majority. They note that differences in research efforts probably explain some discrepancies.

The ash decline pathogen, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has apparently been present in eastern Europe since the 1980s, so its spread has probably not been facilitated by the downsides of the WTO/IPPC system.

Other sources report recent introductions of insects to Europe. Musolin et al. reported that 192 species of phytophagous non-native insects had been documented in European Russia as of 2011. They included the emerald ash borer detected in Moscow in 2003. Some of these insects were probably introduced to Europe (outside Russia) before the WTO/IPPC system came into effect. Examples are two insects from North America that were detected in 1999 and 2000, respectively –  the western coniferous seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, which vectors a pathogenic fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea (=Diplodia pinea); and the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata.

Australia was slow to respond to detection of myrtle rust, Austropuccina psidii. Few federal resources were made available to study its impacts – although the Australian flora includes at least 1,500 species in the vulnerable plant family. Carnegie and Pegg said this experience demonstrated the need to integrate the work of agencies responsible for conservation of natural ecosystems with those determining and implementing phytosanitary policy. New Zealand initially responded more assertively, but also found little funding to support resistance breeding or even to track the rust’s spread. 

The record is less clear regarding Africa, South America, and Asia.

Africa

Sitzia et al. expressed concern that bark and ambrosia beetles threaten to cause significant damage to tropical forests. Several factors contribute to these threats: the long history of plant movement between tropical regions; conversion of tropical forests that disturbs canopies, understory plant communities, and soils; and, generally, regions with fewer resources to prevent or respond to invasions.

In Africa, Graziosi et al. reported on the cumulative economic impact of invasive species and the continent’s limited capacity to prevent or respond to introductions. They don’t discuss whether pests attacking plantations of non-native trees followed those trees from their point of origin. They found that some introduced insects pose significant threats to native tree species. They mentioned the Cypress aphid, Cinara cupressi, which was attacking both native African cedar, Juniperus procera, and exotic cypress plantations. All the examples appear to have been introduced before the WTO/IPPC system took effect. All the examples appear to have been introduced before the WTO/IPPC system took effect.

Cinara cupressi; photo by Blackman & Eastop via Wikimedia

Graziosi et al. point out that South Africa plays a central role because it imports significant volumes of goods that can transport pests. At most immediate risk is South Africa’s highly diverse and endemic flora. For example Phytophthora cinnamomi is attacking native Proteaceae, which are important components of the unique Cape Floral Kingdom.  Other pathogens are attacking native conifers in the Podocarpus genus, Ekebergia capensis (Meliaceae), and Syzygium trees. However, pests first introduced to South Africa often spread. Graziosi et al. name several insects and pathogens of Eucalyptus and the wood-boring pest of pine Sirex noctilio.

Pests in Asia

Available information about China is not definitive. The FAO reports that half of the most damaging forest pests are non-indigenous. They were estimated to occur over an area of 1.3 million ha and to kill over 10 million trees per year. However, the three tree-killing pests which receive the most attention are the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens), and fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea). These were all introduced before the World Trade Organization was founded.

The FAO notes several non-native insects that attack native trees in India, but all were introduced decades before the World Trade Organization began. There is no discussion of tree pathogens.

Thu et al. report a growing number of pest outbreaks damaging plantations of non-indigenous trees in Vietnam. In most cases the pests are indigenous to the country. They report that almost nothing is known about pests that attack species in the highly diverse native forests.

The September 2025 meeting of the International Forest Quarantine Research Group (IFQRG) had a session devoted to the topic “Risk of international trade in plants for planting”. The specific presentations are titled

  • “Using molecular tools to elucidate the pathways of cryptic pests on plants for planting”
  • “Risk-based approach to the movement of germplasm into Australia: the luxury afforded to an affluent continent” (note my earlier blog criticizing Australian efforts re forest pests)
  • “Challenges in the validation of methods for detection of quarantine pathogen – P. ramorum”
  • “Challenges in surveillance and detection of quarantine fungal tree pathogens in European Union”
  • “Pathogens in trade and the risk of establishment – update”

I hope that some of these discussions begin to tackle the crucial questions I raised in this blog and earlier. Also, I hope IFQRG continues to explore these important questions.

As Wu and Raffa et al. have said, Earth’s forests cannot afford delay in finding solutions to the challenges posed by introductions of novel pathogens to naïve systems.

SOURCES

Antonelli, C.; Biscontri, M.; Tabet, D.; Vettraino, A.M. 2023. The Never-Ending Presence of

Phytoph Spp in Italian Nurseries. Pathogens 2023, 12, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010015

Voglmayr, H., A. Schertler, F. Essl, I. Krisai-Greilhuber. 2023. Alien and cryptogenic fungi and oomycetes in Austria: an annotated checklist (2nd edition). Biol Invasions (2023) 25:27–38 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02896-2 

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

Wood Packaging Pest Risk: changing trade patterns might reduce it

Michigan’s champion green ash – killed by emerald ash borer

As readers of this blog know, I worry when volumes of imports rise (scroll down the webpage to “categories”, then scroll down to the “wood packaging” category), especially when the rise is rapid and supply chains are in chaos – as they are now. As I reported a month ago,  U.S. imports from China landing at U.S. west coast ports grew by significant amounts during January through April 2025 as importers sought to get their goods before a threatened strike by longshoremen and high tariffs mandated by President Trump. The blog provides specific proportional increases for the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, and Tacoma. After a dip in May and June [as reported in both the Washington Post article and that by M. Angell] – in response to President Trump announcing a 145% tariff on goods from China – imports surged again in July when this tax was postponed (see below).

These spurts in imports worried me because wood packaging from China has a nearly 30-year history of higher-than-average failure to comply with phytosanitary regulations (see Haack et al. 2022; full citation at the end of this blog; and earlier blogs). I fret that when importers are in a rush neither exporters nor importers pays much attention to whether the crates and pallets have been treated in accordance with ISPM#15 to prevent insect infestation.

The surge in imports was across the board. Indeed, other countries saw even higher growth in exports to the United States than did China. According to the Journal of Commerce (JOC), www.joc.com  containerized imports from all exporters reached an all-time high in July 2025 — 2.6 million TEUs  Over the six-month period January through June, 12.53 million TEUs [Robb] (otherwise measured as approximately 6.3 million 40-ft containers). JOC also recorded single-digit declines in import volumes from all regions in May and June. 

In a blog in March 2025 I noted that the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had processed 36.6 million shipping containers holding imports in Fiscal Year 2023 – which ended in September 2023. Together, Mexico and Canada provided 30% of U.S. imports in 2022. So probably ~25 million shipping containers arrived via ship from Asia, Europe, and other overseas trading partners.

Note that the CBP reports containers, while the JOC reports TEUs [TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit; standardized measure of container]. Most sea-borne containers are actually 40 feet long; CBP numbers probably refer predominantly to 40-feet containers. The numbers reported by the two sources are not equivalent. The trends do match, however.

container ship at Hai Phong container port; photo by Nathan.cima via Wikimedia

Origins

Despite the spurts in volumes of incoming containers, total imports from China have declined from previous years. According to Angell, the 1.228 million TEU imported from China in July was 8% lower than the number of TEUs from China in July 2024. Importers have shifted to suppliers in Southeast Asia. Containerized imports from that region rose 24% over the previous July, reaching records of 542,414 TEUs in June and 581,803 in July. In fact, the U.S. imported more goods from Southeast Asia in the months March – June than from China (Wallis 2025).

The second greatest increase was in imports from countries on the Indian subcontinent. They also reached a record in July of 152,630 TEUs – 21% above July 2024.

Vietnam and India have much better records of compliance with ISPM#15 than does China: only one of 257 consignments from Vietnam and three of 1,549 consignments from India inspected over the period 2010 – 2020 harbored pests. Thus, from the perspective of introduction of non-native tree-killing insects, the shift to Southeast Asia and India is a plus. However, this improvement might not last. I expect that the 50% tariff on most goods from India that came into effect in late August 2025 will result in a steep fall-off in imports from that country.  

Imports from Southern Europe also rose 7% from a year earlier to 155,587 TEUs. Imports from Northern Europe were essentially flat over the July 2024 – July 2025 period.

discarded dunnage in Houston

Ports

Shifts in trade patterns also appear in port data. The Port of Los Angeles received 542,940 TEUs in July, a 10% increase from a year earlier and the highest monthly total for the port since August 2024. However, it was Houston that saw the strongest year-over-year import growth; the 184,418 TEUs entering in July 2025 volume were 18.5% higher than the number imported in July 2024. Imports from Southeast Asia saw a 63% increase; those from China rose by 9.8% [Angell].

As you might remember, pest detections by CBP have risen at ports in America’s southeast: at the National Plant Board meeting in July, representatives of APHIS and state phytosanitary agencies expressed surprise about this finding. I reminded the group that ports in that region had been receiving higher import volumes in recent years, including from Asia through the widened Panama Canal. I added that there had been problems with dunnage in the port of Houston.   

De Minimis packages

As of 29 August 2025, the United States is imposing tariffs on small-value imports that previously could enter the country tax-free. In 2016, the U.S. raised the threshold from $200 to $800. Importers of these packages not only avoided paying taxes on this newly expanded list of items. They also were subjected to minimal processing, including inspections (Chapell). This change coincided with on-line shopping becoming the norm. De minimis shipments started to dominate cargo entering the U.S. According to a press release from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, cited by NPR, the number of de minimis shipments grew from 140 million in 2014 to 1.36 billion in 2024.

Not coincidentally, phytosanitary officials have expressed growing concern about on-line sales of plant species considered invasive in one or more states, and exacerbated appearance of items infested by plant pests. These concerns have been voiced at National Plant Board meetings since at least 2021. At that meeting, then APHIS Deputy Administrator Osama el-Lissy said that managing

e-commerce was a priority of the new Biden Administration. The topic has been on the NPB agenda since then. Two kinds of shipments raise concern: those by North American suppliers that send plants or other items that violate regulations of the destination state, and those from abroad. All recognize that persuading foreign suppliers to comply with U.S. regulations is nearly impossible. At this year’s meeting, Acting Deputy Administrator Matt Rhoads conceded that APHIS has not yet figured out how to curtail this risk. The volume of illegal imports can be huge: an illegal shipment of tens of thousands of black pine (Pinus thunbergii) seedlings was sent to Georgia. State officials found out about the importation and stopped sale of the plants. Although the Trump Administration’s decision to end the de minimis exemption was not prompted by the plant health risks, it will probably help reduce it.

Japanese black pine bonsai at National Arboretum; photo by Ragesoss via Wikimedia

Imports during the Pandemic: will we soon see a jump in new detections?

We already know that import volumes first fell dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, then rebounded to record levels. According to David Lynch (citation below), in 2021 the Port of Los Angeles handled more than 535,000 incoming shipping containers in May 2021. During that month and three others in 2021, the number of arriving containers exceeded the single busiest month in 2019 (476,000) [p. 257]. Other ports also saw increased volume. Lynch discusses how this import surge stressed capacity of ports, warehouses, and transportation systems (truckers and railroads). He does not examine how this surge might have affected traders’ compliance with wood packaging treatment requirements or phytosanitary agencies’ ability to enforce those rules. Those agencies’ funding had decreased during the pandemic drought.

Five years have passed since this disruptive swing from low numbers to record-breaking quantities. Will we begin to see evidence — trees stressed by newly introduced insects or pathogens?

SOURCES

Angell, M. Journal of Commerce. Whipsaw from Trump’s tariffs drove US container import record in July. August 13, 2025. https://www.joc.com/article/whipsaw-from-trumps-tariffs-drove-us-container-import-record-in-july-6062634

Chappell, B. 2025. This rule made many online purchases dirt cheap for U.S. consumers. Now it’s ending. National Public Radio All Things Considered August 28, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/08/28/nx-s1-5519361/de-minimis-rule-tariffs-consumers-imports-trump

Lynch, D.J. 2025. The World’s Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (and what would make it right) Public Affairs, New York

Robb, L. Journal of Commerce. US retailers project big year-over-year import declines to close out 2025. August 8, 2025. https://www.joc.com/article/us-retailers-project-big-year-over-year-import-declines-to-close-out-2025-6060323

Wallis, K. Surging Southeast Asia volumes strain Intra-Asia Capacity. https://www.joc.com/article/surging-southeast-volues-strain-intra-asia-capacity-6078465

 

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

How do we prevent their introduction?

healthy eastern hemlock in Shenandoah National Park; photo by F.T. Campbell

PestLens reports newly detected insects and pathogens that seem to pose a threat to North American forests.

  1. Insects on hemlock – Tsuga spp

a) Adelges lepsimon (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) – found infesting Tsuga dumosa (Himalayan hemlock) trees in Bhutan.

b) bark beetle Pityokteines spinidens (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) – infesting Tsuga canadensis trees in an arboretum in the Czech Republic. Affected trees showed branch dieback, entry holes, and internal galleries.

Eastern hemlock has already been greatly reduced by hemlock woolly adelgid.

loblolly pine; photo by dcrjsr via Flickr

2. Several fungi infesting loblolly pine – Pinus taeda

needle chlorosis and drying, canopy dieback, and root necrosis on loblolly pines in Brazil is caused by the fungi Ilyonectria leucospermi, I. protearum, I. robusta, and I. vredehoekensis (Sordariomycetes: Hypocreales).

PestLens is supposed to alert APHIS to threats; I hope the agency is paying attention!

The USFS Southern Research Station reports that it is investigating brown spot needle blight, caused by the fungal pathogen called Lecanosticta acicola. The report says the pathogen has been present in the U.S. for more than 100 years, but does not indicate an origin. Other sources show it as widespread in both North America and Europe. The USFS notes two recent significant outbreaks, one affecting more than a million acres of loblolly pine in the Southeast, the second on eastern white pine in the Northeast. The pathogen also infects other species. .

You can subscribe to PestLens and receive weekly alerts – go to the website.

Posted by Faith Campbell

Y’all Come! National Plant Board Will Meet in Virginia in July 2026

The National Plant Board (NPB) represents the state officials responsible for preventing the introduction, establishment, and spread of invasive species called “plant pests” – including insects and pathogens that attack our native flora and invasive plants. The NPB has just held its 2025 meeting, on which I report here.

Coming to the Mid-Atlantic: NPB 2026 Annual Meeting

The next annual meeting will be in Alexandria, Virginia at the end of July 2026.I have attended these annual meetings since 2006 and always find them worth my time. They provide a wonderful opportunity to interact with the state and federal officials responsible for managing invasive plants and plant pests, and to assess regulatory issues. Contact me for more information.

The agendas focus on practical topics, such as science and technology tools, changes in APHIS policies or practices, and progress in cooperation among relevant federal agencies (i.e., the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Border Protection) and with the states. While agricultural pest issues are stressed, tree-killing pests also get attention. Sometimes invasive plants are also discussed. The Board’s state representatives seek ways to coordinate their efforts both at these meetings and throughout the year.

Issues in the host location are part of the focus. Next year, that will be the Mid-Atlantic. The meeting is being co-hosted by the departments of Agriculture of Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware.

I expect that there will be opportunities for presenting concerns of non-governmental organizations – at least through staffed display tables and possibly other activities. I hope the many conservation organizations that have a Washington, D.C., presence will consider participating.

In Honolulu: NPB 2025 Annual Meeting

NPB’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Honolulu focused to some extent on the unique aspects of agriculture and introduced pests on remote Pacific islands. (Guam was co-host.) This blog reports on current efforts by federal and state authorities to counter bioinvasions there and around the country.

I took advantage of the meeting to visit the “Big Island” of Hawai`i to see for myself the impact of rapid ‘ōhi‘a death and enjoy the native flora (for example, the hapu tree fern – below). I posted another blog reporting what I learned there.

native Hawaiian tree ferns & ʻōhiʻa; photo by F.T. Campbell

Federal

In an earlier blog, I outlined the Administration’s proposed cuts to staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and contradictory actions by Congress in the annual appropriations bills.

As that blog makes clear, the work of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is viewed much more positively by the Trump Administration than is the USDA Forest Service. While APHIS’ funding is much more secure, staff cuts and reorganization of the USDA still have caused setbacks. APHIS is expected to lose 15% of employees – 1,180 people. Four hundred APHIS employees accepted the Administration’s deferred resignation offer. These included the leadership of many programs – including the previous Deputy Administrator, Mark Davidson. Higher up, no one has been appointed to the position of Deputy Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Affairs.

In his report to the meeting, APHIS Acting Deputy Administrator for Plant Protection and Quarantine Matthew Rhoads noted that the Administration’s Farm Security Plan, which emphasizes efforts to combat bioterrorism, includes APHIS’ safeguarding role. However, abrupt and incomplete leadership changes hamper efforts to replace those who have left and set agency priorities. While I am cheered by the reported priority for preventing pest introductions, I fear that the focus might be quite narrow, leaving out threats to natural resources such as native forest trees.

Rhoads announced that after years of effort, the Asian longhorned beetle has been declared eradicated on 12.3 square miles of the Massachusetts quarantine zone.

Much of the presentation by Matthew Rhoads and later ones by other APHIS staff updated attendees on progress on technologies important in pest detection and control, and specific projects being carried out jointly by APHIS and NPB members (that is, state regulatory officials chosen to represent the state phytosanitary agencies). I consider the collaborative projects — begun in February 2023 – to be very important. Twenty years ago, relations between APHIS and its state counterparts were characterized by an “us vs. them” attitude.

I will summarize progress on the projects of greatest interest to those of us focused on non-native insects and disease pathogens threatening tree species. Rhodes mentioned improvements in the plant pathogen diagnostic certification program and development of improved molecular diagnostics for 45 insects and plant pathogens, including several Phytophthora species.

Joint APHIS-NPB teams have completed many risk analyses: 18 datasheets, 20 assessments, and four pathway analyses. As usual, insects – especially beetles – are the most numerous taxa detected. Many were surprised that the majority of new detections occurred in the south. When he was asked about this, Rhoads speculated that this reflected the region’s more hospitable climate and Florida’s surveillance efforts. I noted that ports in the southeast – e.g., Savannah and Charleston – are receiving higher import volumes; and that there have been problems with dunnage in the port of Houston.  

Large container ship docked at Port of Savannah; photo by F.T. Campbell

Rhoads praised the federal-state strategic alliance’s project targetting illegal importation of plants purchased on-line. His example should concern us: importation of as many as 10,000 black pine seedlings to Georgia. The state stopped sale of these plants and APHIS’ investigatory unit began an investigation. This example illustrates the volume of plants that might be moving in this trade. Several states asked APHIS to offer more help in countering trafficking involving smaller numbers.  All agree that no one has yet figured out an effective way to control this pathway.

A second example of successful coordination between APHIS and the states was said to be the decision to not regulate Phytophthora austrocedri, a pathogen detected in several nurseries in Oregon in 2024. Possible hosts in the Pacific Northwest include the already-depleted Port Orford cedar, and here; Juniperus californica, J. grandis, J. occidentalis, and J. maritima. Federal and state plant health officials, in coordination with the nursery industry trade association (AmericanHort), reached this decision after determining that the pathogen has probably been present in Oregon for many years and been spread to other states on the large volumes of host plants shipped. Now it will be up to states and non-governmental conservation organizations to try to detect whether this pathogen has established and devise management strategies.

New Information (as of December 2025): someone has posted on the web a written explanation of this decision by APHIS to the National Plant Board. [Visit cdn.ymaws.com, search for “Phytopthora austro”]. APHIS estimated that delimitation surveys in just one nursery would cost more than $9 million. Because the pathogen cannot be detected by visual symptoms, even tracking spread requires expensive destructive sampling of large numbers of plants. Meanwhile, thousands of possibly infected plants have been shipped from at least two Oregon nurseries in recent years. APHIS concluded that a Federal survey program for P. austrocedri would not contribute to ultimately controlling the spread or eradication of this pathogen. The agency recommended instead that natural resource agencies adopt a “protective-style approach”, focused on actively managing highest-value natural sites.  

Are federal, state, and non-governmental managers of the many types of ecosystems inhabited by junipers and cypresses equipped to do this?

Ordinarily, the USFS Forest Health Protection program would be in a position to assist states which want to manage this pest (assuming its establishment). But considering the current uncertainty regarding USFS’ future, blog states cannot count on that help.

Sky Stevens (entomologist on the staff of USFS Forest Health Protection program) reported on the situation at the USFS. She noted that the Congressional appropriations bills continue funding for the agency’s research program and collaboration with non-federal entities managing forests. Still, the USFS lost 5,200 people through “voluntary” resignations and firings.

The program of greatest importance to us, Forest Health, was cut from 18 people to 8. Stevens replaced the long-time national entomologist. The comparable pathologist has retired. Stevens is struggling to make decisions regarding the pathology program, especially since diseases are inherently more difficult. While the USFS is doing lateral exchanges to fill high-need vacancies, FHP has not yet been asked what the program needs.

According to Stevens, in 2024 about 9 million acres were impacted by forest pests. The FHP program treated 1 million acres. As usual, the (European) spongy moth was the largest target based on acreage. Other non-native species targetted were emerald ash borer, goldspotted oak borer, sudden oak death, Asian longhorned beetle, hemlock woolly adelgid, and rapid ‘ōhi‘a death. See summaries of these pests’ impacts and status here.  

Continuation of these projects in 2025 often became trapped in the new Administration’s funding freezes; opportune times for effective actions were often missed. On-going projects include several targetting emerald ash borer and its hosts in Oregon and black ash swamps of the Midwest and Northeast; managing sudden oak death in Oregon and California; and delimitation surveys for rapid ‘ōhi‘a death.  The SOD program benefits from approximately $3 million earmarked by Congress (out of the total funding for the forest health program of $48 million).

Stevens noted that it is difficult to discuss the program’s future given the uncertainty. Program staff hope to continue issuing products that help people understand forest health in their region – not limited to federal lands.

I learned from the review of the following programs and technical tools that many were funded by the grant program under APHIS’ Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention program  (Plant Protection Act Section 7721). Clearly, America’s efforts to prevent and respond to invasions by plant pests (including invasive plants) would be far less robust without this grant program.

boxwood (box tree) garden at Gunston Hall – an 18th Century plantation near Alexandria, Virginia (site of the 2026 NPB meeting); Photo by Roger 4336 via Wikipedia

Wendy Jin, APHIS PPQ Associate Deputy Administrator, urged states to use pest forecast models developed under the SAFARIS program. These models incorporate information on weather; pest biology, environmental needs and impact; hosts; land cover; and relevant human activities. Fifty pests have been evaluated so far, apparently including Asian longhorned beetle, spongy moth, spotted lanternfly, and boxtree moth. (All but the last are described briefly under the “invasive species” tab here.) The goal is to provide managers information about the insect’s life stage at specific times in specific localities so that they can time their surveillance and management actions. However, I am somewhat worried because the models use current and historical weather data – which might not be pertinent as the climate warms. Worse, the modelers lack sufficiently detailed data to develop models for Alaska, Hawai`i, Puerto Rico, or Guam.

Dr. Carrie Harmon (Deputy Director, National Plant Diagnostic Network) described the resources available for states use from two diagnostics tools. Both were developed under grants which are now expiring. Therefore updates and further development will depend on renewal of the grants.  The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) provides accurate data and alerts about appearances of plant diseases. APHIS is said to be collaborating closely to ensure as much data as possible is shared. A separate body, the Diagnostic Assay Validation Network, is validating diagnostic assays.

A few years ago the NPB and APHIS formalized their new level of collaboration as the “Strategic Alliance, Strategic Initiative”. The Plant Board surveyed its members to gauge their feelings about several issues: 1) data-sharing issues that impede decision-making; 2) ways to strengthen coordination when dealing with on-line sales of plants or other vectors of plant pests (see the pine-Georgia example above); and 3) what structures and practices could make resolving these problems easier. 

One of the resulting initiatives is an analysis of implementation of the Federal Noxious Weed program in the absence of a line-item appropriation. However, the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) prompted resignations and firings, including this project’s APHIS liaison. Without a replacement, it is unclear how the analysis can proceed.

Another speaker, representing Bob Baca, Assistant Director of APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine, warned state officials about new pressure to phase out use of methyl bromide (MB) as a phytosanitary tool. Use of ozone-depleting chemicals – including MB – has been regulated since 1988 under the Montreal Protocol. Americans use more MB for this purpose than any other country. Already manufacturers are ending its production. After mentioning substitutes under development, the speaker urged state departments of Agriculture to meet with growers and develop a nation-wide plan to weather this impending change. She noted that APHIS has no authority to require companies to produce substitutes. 

The NPB leadership discussed turnover in the organization (several states are represented by officials new to their jobs); advocacy to APHIS for even better coordination and recognition of states’ need to act quickly; and efforts to expand its collaboration with other entities. A series of presentations tallied lessons learned during specific plant pest crises. These included the role of the public in pest detection; mobilizing initial responses to a new pest; and building higher-ups’ and legislators’ support for funding a “rapid response” capability before arrival of a new damaging pest.

In a separate blog I reviewed topics discussed that pertain particularly to Pacific island plant health issues.

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

Status of Hawaiian species threatened by bioinvasion

stand of Miconia under albizia overstory on Big Island, Hawai`i; photo by F.T. Campbell

As I will describe in another blog, participants in the annual meeting of the National Plant Board link in Honolulu learned the basics about the uniqueness of agriculture and native species on remote Pacific islands. I want to complement this information by reminding you about other Hawaiian and Guamaian species at risk – although did not learn anything new.

As Martin and Andreozzi pointed out, the Pacific islands import nearly all their food and other consumables. Considerable interest in some quarters in Hawai`i to increase agricultural production. However, large swaths of land in the low-elevation area surrounding Pahoa on the Big Island is completely dominated by the albizia (Falcataria Molucca) [see photo above]. J.B. Friday says it is cost-prohibitive to remove these trees in order to restore agriculture in the area. Local people are concerned because in storms the trees fall onto houses and roads, causing considerable damage.

I saw numerous clumps of the notorious invasive plant Miconia calvescens. Dr. Friday told me that conservationists now focus on keeping this plant out of key areas, not trying to eradicate it completely.

area being restored by volunteers; photo by F.T. Campbell

Local people trying to restore disease-damaged forests by planting other native plants and hand-clearing invasive plants. Some of the ohia seedlings infected by Austropuccinia psidii.

ohia seedling with symptoms of ohia rust (Austropuccinia psdii); detected by J.B. Friday; photo by F.T. Campbell

Dr. Friday showed me many areas where ʻōhiʻa trees have been killed by rapid ʻōhiʻa death. Since this mortality occurred a decade or more ago, other plants have grown up. Pic  In many if not most cases, this jungle includes dense growths of guava Latin the most widespread invasive tree on the islands (Potter). ‘Ōhi‘a trees continue to thrive in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park – also on the Big Island – because the NPS makes considerable efforts to protect them from wounding by feral pigs. Demonstrates importance of fencing and mammal eradication in efforts to protect this tree species.

healthy ʻōhiʻa tree on cinder cone created by eruption of Kilauea Iki in 1959; photo by F.T. Campbell

I also saw healthy koa (Acacia koa) in the park, especially at sites along the road to the trail climbing Mauna Loa.

Regarding the wiliwili tree, I was told that it remains extremely scarce on Oahu.

wiliwili tree in flower; photo by Forrest Starr

I heard nothing about the status of naio – another shrub native to the Big Island – but on the dry western side of the island.

I rejoice that scientists are making progress in protecting and restoring Hawaii’s endemic bird species. Specifically, they are at the early stages of controlling mosquitoes that transmit fatal diseases. All 17 species of endemic honeycreepers that have persisted through the 250 years since Europeans first landed on the Islands are now listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Spp Act. The “Birds, not Mosquitoes” project has developed lab-reared male mosquitoes that, when they mate with wild female, the resulting eggs are sterile. (Male mosquitoes don’t bite, so increasing their number does not affect either animals or people.) Over time, the invasive mosquito population will be reduced, giving vulnerable native bird populations the chance to recover. Scientists began releasing these modified mosquitoes in remote forests on Maui and Kaua‘i in November 2023. In spring 2025, they began testing releases using drones. Use of drones instead of helicopters reduces the danger associated with flying close to complicated mountain rides in regions with variable weather.   This project should be able to continue; the Senate Appropriations Committee report for FY26 allocates $5,250,000 for this project.

American Bird Conservancy is sponsoring a webinar about this program. It will be Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET. Sign up for the webinar here

thicket of guava on the Big Island, Hawai`i; photo by F.T. Campbell

Finally, scientists are releasing a biocontrol agent targetting strawberry guava, Psidium cattleyanum, the most widespread invasive tree on the Islands (Potter et al. 2023). Distribution involves an interesting process. A stand of guava is cut down to stimulate rapid growth. The leaf-galling insect Tectococcus ovatus reproduces prolifically on the new foliage. Twigs bearing the eggs of these insects are collected and tied into small bundles. The bundles are then dropped from helicopters into the canopies of dense guava stands, where they establish and feed – damaging the unwanted host.  

brown tree snake; photo via Wikimedia

Guam

Guam’s endemic birds have famously been extinguished by the non-native brown tree snake. Dr. Aaron Collins, State Director, Guam and Western Pacific, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, informed participants at the National Plant Board meeting about the extensive efforts to suppress snake populations in military housing on the island, reduce damage to the electric grid, and prevent snakes from hitchhiking to other environments, especially Hawai`i and the U.S. mainland.

The program began more than 30 years ago, in 1993. The program now employs 80 FTEs and has a budget of $4 million per year. It was initiated because live and dead snakes had been found in shipments and planes that landed in Hawai`i and the U.S. mainland. Avoiding the snake’s establishment on Hawai`i is estimated to save $500 million per year. The program is a coordinated effort by USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Defense. Probably this estimate helped advocates reverse a decision by the “Department of Government Efficiency” to defund the program.

The program enjoys some advantages over vertebrate eradication programs on the mainland. For example, since Guam has no native snakes, it can use poison, e.g., in mouse-baited traps that can be dropped from planes. A recent innovation is auto-resetting traps baited with mammals; they can electrocute numerous snakes per night.

SOURCE

Potter, K.M., C. Giardina, R.F. Hughes, S. Cordell, O. Kuegler, A. Koch, E. Yuen. 2023. How invaded are Hawaiian forests? Non‑native understory tree dominance signals potential canopy replacement. Lands. Ecol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01662-6

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

FY26 Funding: APHIS doing well; will Congress save the USFS?

effects of emerald ash borer — one of the non-native pests threatening forests across the North American continent; photo by Leslie A. Brice, taken in Maryland

Forest Service: What the Administration Proposed

According to the Washington Post, the Administration’s plans for shrinking the federal government would cut employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by 35% by 2026 – a loss of ~32,000 employees. Of these, the USDA Forest Service (USFS) was targetted for significant losses. The Administration proposed to end the Research and Development program, firing 1,641 employees. The State, Private, and Tribal program would lose 94% of its staff of 580 people. The National Forest System was to be cut by 30%, or 1,603 people. These and cuts to additional USFS programs would have totaled 39% of the agency’s approximately 30,000 staff.

The Administration issued a plan to reorganize USDA. This plan called for phasing out the USFS’ nine Regional Offices. Apparently only two offices would remain: a reduced state office in Juneau and an eastern service center in Athens, Georgia. Seven of the current stand-alone Research Stations would be consolidated into a single location in Fort Collins. The proposal retains two separate entities: the Fire Sciences and Forest Products Laboratories.

How Congress’ Appropriations Committees Responded

As I reported earlier, the Congress has not accepted these proposed cuts to the USFS. Under normal circumstances provisions in Congressionally-enacted appropriations legislation should prevail over the Administration’s plan, but now, who knows?

beech leaf disease — one of many non-native diseases threatening our forests that need further research; photo by F.T. Campbell

USFS Research and Development Program

The House Appropriations bill provides $301,706,000 for the research account, including $34 million for Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). The Senate bill provides more for the overall research program — $308.5 million; but a little less — $32 million – for FIA. I remind you that FIA data inform us about changes in the forest, including damage caused by introduced insects and pathogens. But these data do not identify or disseminate information about how such threats might best be countered.

The Senate bill specifically retains the USFS’ five regional offices and experimental forests. The report accompanying the bill specifies funding for several issues, especially needle blights on loblolly pine and western conifers and poor regeneration of white oak (Quercus alba). The only other topic of research mentioned in the bill is fire research. I fear that might led to decreased attention to non-fire aspects of introduced tree-killing insects and pathogens – which collectively threaten a similarly sized area of America’s forests.

USFS State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program

The House bill provides $281 million for the forest health program. The bill specifies that this funding “includes forest health management, invasive plants, and conducting international programs and trade activities.” This would seem to restore funding for the Forest Health Management program – both the “cooperative lands” and “federal lands” subprograms. However, I found no language specifying funding levels for each subprogram.

The Senate bill provides $38 million more — $319.5 million — for the forest health program. The report specifies that the Cooperative lands forest health management program should be funded at $42 million. However, the Appropriations Committee allocated significant proportions of this total to specific projects. Nearly a quarter of the appropriation targets the spruce budworm outbreak in the eastern U.S. Also, $2 million is earmarked for management of the sudden oak death pathogen in the forests of Oregon and California. Another $3 million funds a pilot program for management of the highly invasive plant cogongrass. Other priorities are programs targetting Western bark beetles and invasive woody plant species – although no funding levels are specified.

dead whitebark pine at Crater Lake National Park; photo by F.T. Campbell

The Senate bill also provides $19.6 million to support Congressionally-directed components of Forest Resource Information and Analysis; I don’t understand whether this is  within or separate from the FIA program.

Under the National Forest System, the Senate bill instructs the USFS to spend at least $2 million per year on recovery of species of plants and animals listed under the Endangered Species Act, presumably including whitebark pines.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is relatively well-off under the Administration’s plans. This agency is expected to lose 15% of employees – 1,180 people. According to Acting Deputy Administrator for Plant Protection and Quarantine Matthew Rhoads, 400 APHIS employees have accepted the Administration’s deferred resignation offer. Leaving are many program leaders – including the previous Deputy Administrator, Mark Davidson. While APHIS is allowed to hire to refill some positions, the future remains uncertain. I note a positive here: the new Farm Security Plan emphasizes efforts to combat bioterrorism, including APHIS’ safeguarding role. While I welcome that priority, I fear that the focus might be quite narrow, leaving out threats to natural resources such as native forest trees.

The impact of the proposed USDA reorganization on APHIS is unclear. The plan envisions continued reductions of the workforce and moving more than half of the remaining USDA employees away from Washington, D.C. to five regional offices.

APHIS also has done well under the House and Senate appropriations process. The House Appropriations Committee issued a press release touting its work as “Champions of U.S. farmers, agriculture, and rural communities”. The first example of this supportive effort reads: “Continuing critical investments in agricultural research, rural broadband, and animal and plant health programs.” Funding for APHIS is described as supporting the Trump Administration and its mandate from the American people. The Office of Management and Budget is said to have prioritized protecting American agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.

The Senate’s report instead cites traditional justifications for funding APHIS. It said that the appropriated funds will help protect the nation’s animal and plant resources from diseases and pests. (As usual, the examples cited are all animal diseases: chronic wasting disease, new world screwworm, and avian influenza.)

The reports accompanying both bills say agricultural quarantine – preventing pest introduction – is an important responsibility of the federal government. I am cheered by this statement since the Trump Administration puts such emphasis on shedding responsibilities.

Unlike the USFS, funding levels for most APHIS programs are unchanged from this year. (Of course, inflation has reduced the amount of work that can be carried out using the same amount of money.) The following table shows funding for programs of interest during the current year (FY2025) and levels proposed by the House and Senate bills for Fiscal Year 2026 (which begins on October 1).

                                                                        Figures in millions of dollars (rounded up)

FY2025 enacted            FY26 House                 FY26 Senate

APHIS total                                  $1,148                          $1,146                          $1,168

Plant health subtotal                   $387.5                                                              $388.6

Agric. quarantine                      $35.5                            $35.5                            $35.5

Field crop and rangeland           $12                               $11                               $11.5

Pest detection                           $29                               $28.5                            $29

Methods development               $21.5                            $21.5                            $21.5

Specialty crops                          $206.5                          $216.3                          $208.5

Tree and wood pests                  $59                               $59                               $58.6

Emergency preparedness and response* $44.5         $44.5                            $44.3

* this fund is apparently for both animal and plant emergencies

The Senate and House bills contain identical language authorizing the Secretary “in emergencies which threaten any segment of [US] agricultural production …, [to] transfer from other appropriations or funds available to the agencies or corporations of [USDA] such sums as may be deemed necessary, to be available only in such emergencies for the arrest and eradication of contagious or infectious diseases … in accordance with sections … 431 and 442 of the Plant Protection Act … and any unexpended balances of funds transferred for such emergency purposes in the preceding fiscal year shall be merged with such transferred amounts”. The House report reminds the Administration that this language means that the emergency fund is intended to enhance, not replace, use of funds transferred from the Commodity Credit Corporation when confronting pest or disease outbreak emergencies. I have long sought increased funding for APHIS to respond quickly when a new invasive organisms is detected. Such flexibility is necessary because the regular process for adopting an appropriation stretches over about three years.

Also, both bills support continuation of APHIS’ feral swine management program. However, they prioritize funding projects in areas with the highest pig populations. I think this is backwards from the perspective of efficiency – although it might build political support for the program.

The House report mentions management of Arundo canes, said to be depleting groundwater levels in western states; eastern spruce budworm in the Northeast; spread of the southern pine beetle and spotted lanternfly; and invasions by the non-native shrub glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus).

The Senate report notes that two strains of the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum and here – the EU1 and NA1 strains – pose major threats to Douglas-fir-tanoak forests in Oregon and California and the associated quarantines restrict exports of logs. Therefore, the report says funding for addressing this threat should be no lower than the FY24 level. (Oregon senator Jeff Merkley is the top Democrat on the Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee.)  

I am thrilled to see that the House report requires APHIS to report within a year on recommendations to enhance existing protocols to better protect Hawai`i from bioinvasion. The report is to evaluate the feasibility of APHIS working with the state to improve biosecurity, prevent invasive species establishment, and mitigate damage from those already there. The report is to evaluate the risk of invasive species arriving via movement of people, baggage, cargo, and other items.

endemic honeycreepers of Hawai`i

Finally, the “Big Beautiful Bill” adopted by the Congress in June, increased funding for APHIS’ Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention (Plant Protection Act Section 7721) from $75 million to $90 million – but only for Fiscal Year 2026. This grant program continues to be crucial to funding vital programs. This year the program has funded more than 300 projects. I wonder – might forest pathologists prepare a proposal for next year that would fund a study to improve America’s phytosanitary program regarding pathogens? Two possible study topics might be 1) evaluating the efficacy of APHIS’ current regulations in preventing introduction of fungal pathogens, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes on imported plants and/or 2) identifying currently unknown microbes resident in regions that are important sources of origin for traded plants, vulnerability of hosts in the U.S., and new technologies for detecting pathogens

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

USFS appropriations – Senate actions

The Senate Appropriations Committee has adopted its bill appropriating funding for the USDA Forest Service for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins on 1 October. Once the bill passes the full Senate, negotiators for the Senate and House committees must agree on a compromise.

The Senate bill provides a total of $8.6 billion for the Forest Service. This includes $308,497,000 for the Research and Development program. This is an increase of $8.5 million above funding for the current year. The Senate bill specifically supports retaining the five regional offices and experimental forests. Remember, the Trump Administration had proposed to eliminate the Research program – other than Forest Inventory and Analysis. The Committee’s report link specifies that the USFS should prioritize projects requested by or benefitting the agency’s mission, not requests by external entities. The benefit to the agency and public should be stated before a project is initiated.  The report specifies funding for several issues, including

  • $3 million to continue collaborative research to determine distribution & movement of the pathogens that cause needle blight on loblolly pine.
  • Funding to maintain Experimental Forests in the Northeast. These are described as important for assessing the long-term response of eastern white pine & northern hardwoods to various forest management prescriptions, controlled burning & natural factors, such as insects, disease, weather events and climate change. While the wording is somewhat confusing, I believe this is funded at $6 million.
  • $1 million to support Outbreak Timber Salvage Research related to drought & needle tip blight & Ips beetle outbreaks in the West.
  • $3 million to support Needle Blight Mitigation collaborative research.
  • Several program areas related to fire, including understanding the risk in the wildland-urban interface.

Finally, the bill would fund Forest Inventory and Analysis at $32 million.

a white oak in Maryland; photo by Bob Gutowski via Flickr

There is particular attention to white oaks (Quercus alba). The report notes that this species occupies 103 million acres in E U.S. The species is critical for wildlife, biodiversity, & forest products. The Committee instructs the USFS to report on its efforts, including monitoring & research, to regenerate white oak on National forests as well as state, tribal, and private lands. The Committee recognizes importance of seed stock & tree nurseries in these efforts.

The bill also restores funding for the State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program. It provides $319.5 million for this, an increase of $16 million above the current level. Again, the Trump Administration had proposed to eliminate funding for the SPT program. The Senate report specifies that the Cooperative lands forest health management program should be funded at $42 million. However, the Committee also allocated significant proportions of this total to specific projects:

  • $10 million (nearly a quarter of the total) to support mitigation efforts targeting the spruce budworm outbreak in the eastern US.
  • $3 million for a Cogongrass Management Pilot Program
  • $2 million for management of the sudden oak death pathogen in the forests of Oregon and California
  • Prioritizing – but without specifying funding levels – of the Western Bark Beetle Initiative and helping urban areas restore and improve their forests and combat exotic invasive woody plant species.  

There is also $19.6 million to support Congressionally-directed components of Forest Resource Information and Analysis – which is apparently separate from the FIA program.

The Senate bill also continues support for the USFS International Programs.

Under the National Forest System, the Committee instructs the USFS to spend at least $2 million per year on recovery of species of plants and animals listed under the Endangered Species Act. This category includes whitebark pines but not other tree species decimated by non-native pests.

whitebark pine with Clarke’s nutcracker; photo by Walter Siegmund

While I am disappointed that the Senate report makes few reference to non-native pests other than the loblolly needle blight, I rejoice that the Committee explicitly endorses the importance of USFS programs to sustain forest health across all landscapes – not just in National forests – and the Research program’s status as the premier such entity around the world.  

Reminder: the House Appropriations bill provides $301,706,000 for the research account – almost $7 million less than the Senate. The House’ allocation for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is $34 million. Thus, there is a $9 million difference in funding levels – a significant challenge to reconcile. How will funding for the already-underfunded invasive species programs fare?

The House bill provides $280,960,000 for the State, Private, and Tribal forestry program. This is $38 million less than the Senate bill. The available report did not specify funding levels for the Forest Health Management program – either the “cooperative lands” or “federal lands” subprograms. As I note above, the Senate bill increases funding for the cooperative lands account, but then earmarks all the increase.

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

American Forest Congress calls for “urgent” action to counter forest pests

Eastern deciduous forest – Great Smoky Mountains National Park; photo by F.T. Campbell

Organizers of the American Forest Congress claim the meeting has influenced the direction of forest conservation and management in America since 1882. As examples they cite creation of the U.S. Forest Service, the establishment of the eastern National Forests, new community-based and collaborative approaches to forestry, and efforts to advance the leadership of women within the forest community.  

During its meeting in Washington, D.C. in July 2025, the Ninth Forest Congress adopted a resolution re: threat from forest pests and pathogens:  

Resolved: to recognize and address the urgent risk posed by exotic and native pests and pathogens and invasive species to long-term health, productivity and sustainability of America’s forests.

Provide adequate and sustained resources for a cooperative stewardship program to monitor and address these risks across landscapes and ownerships.

Convene regional partnerships with participation of state, federal and tribal authorities, private landowners, NGOs, universities and other interested stakeholders to identify key forest health risks, develop regional approaches and attract needed resources to implement and sustain them.

Brian Milakovsky, senior forester at the New England Forestry Foundation helped gather an ad hoc group of forest health experts and foresters from across the eastern seaboard to draft the resolution

The Committee now plans to organize a follow-up event sometime in 2025 to discuss what is needed to build a more diverse and robust funding pipeline for pest and pathogen work. Their concern was elevated by the Trump Administration’s proposal to stop funding for the USFS’ State, Private and Tribal Forestry program.

healthy hemlock forest, Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania; photo by F.T. Campbell

The New England Forestry Foundation has a direct stake in these programs. The Foundation manages 41,000 acres of land in five New England states and works with diverse landowners in the region to improve forest management. The Foundation hopes to expand both on-the-ground work and advocacy in response to the threats from non-native insects and pathogens. While they are focusing on developing an IPM program on their own lands, they recognize that they must address the pest and pathogen levels of the surrounding landscape – that is, they wish to support the federal and state forest health experts who are trying to address these issues at the largest scale.

In Maine the Foundations is trying to manage destruction by the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), beech bark disease, beech leaf disease, winter moth, red pine scale, and browntail moth. The emerald ash borer is arriving – and threatens to decimate green ash forests covering entire hillsides – with repercussions for water supplies, flooding, etc.

This resolution presents a great opportunity to revive discussions about the non-native forest pest issue with federal and state government officials, fellow conservationists, and the foundations that fund conservation work. Let’s work individually and together to put real muscle into these programs.

One of the possible ways is to persuade Congress to adopt the bill under development by Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont. The bill as introduced in the previous session is available here. Please ask your senators to sponsor it in this session – perhaps as a component of the (overdue) 2024 Farm Bill.

USDA photo via Rawpixel

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

Funding for key USFS programs – reprieve in House

The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Interior, adopted its version of appropriations for the USDA Forest Service (USFS) for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins October 1st.  The bill restores the basic funding levels for the Research and Development and State, Private, and Tribal Forestry accounts. (The Trump Administration had called for cutting nearly all funding for these accounts.)

The Subcommittee provides $301,706,000 for the research account. I am having difficulty determining the funding level for the current year (FY25) since the Administration and Congress have taken several contradictory actions. I am disappointed that $34 million of the research total is allocated to the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. FIA data inform us about changes in the forest, including damage caused by introduced insects and pathogens. But FIA data do not identify or disseminate information about how such threats might best be countered. I had asked Congress to begin increasing the proportion of research funds allocated to studying the invasive forest pests.

Furthermore, the only other topic of research mentioned in the bill is fire research. I fear that might led to decreased attention to non-fire aspects of introduced tree-killing insects and pathogens – the opposite of what I think is appropriate.

one of numerous risk maps for Phytophthora ramorum; many aspects of this pathogen still require research – perhaps especially the likelihood that the three strains present in forests in Oregon & California will reproduce sexually

The Subcommittee provides $280,960,000 for the State, Private, and Tribal forestry program. This is apparently a $23 million cut for the overall SPT program. The bill specifies that this funding “includes forest health management, invasive plants, and conducting international programs and trade activities.” This would seem to restore funding for the Forest Health Management program – both the “cooperative lands” and “federal lands” subprograms. I doubt that the funding will reach the level I suggested: $32 million for the cooperative lands subprogram and $16 million for the federal lands subprogram.

Still, it is a great relief that the Congress has – so far – chosen to maintain these programs, which are so critical to countering invasions by non-native organisms.  I hope the full House and the Senate will agree. Please contact your senators and remind them how important these programs are.

(Some other important programs have been sacrificed in the appropriations bill – A 23% cut in the budget for the Environmental Protection Agency; reversing some regulations intended to protect various endangered species …)

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org

Wood packaging pest risk — will we pay for the crazy import rush in early 2025?

The Washington Post has summarized data on the number of container ships travelling from China to U.S. west coast ports for the first half of 2025. It compares those numbers to the same period in 2024.

For the first four months, the trips exceeded 2024 levels, often by considerable amounts, as importers sought to get their goods before President Trump imposed high tariffs. Thus, the number of container ships arriving at Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, and Tacoma during each month:

  • January: 17% increase
  • February: 32% increase 
  • March: 14% increase
  • April: 5% increase

In May, landings from China decreased by 33%! Those ships arriving also carried fewer containers.

When measured by the value of imported goods, imports from China fell 20% nationwide when we compare April 2024 to April 2025. This decrease was seen at four of the five west coast ports; the exception was Tacoma.

When President Trump “paused” the 145% increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, the prices shippers charge for transporting containers doubled – from less than $3,000 per container to $6,000. This change probably portends a rebound in import volumes.

I always worry about containers from China (see Haack et al. 2022; full citation at the end of this blog; and this blog). For more than 30 years they have too often been the means by which wood-boring insects are introduced to North American forests. I fret even more when import volumes are rising – especially when importers are in a rush. I suspect that neither exporters nor importers pay much attention to whether the crates and pallets have been treated properly.

ash tree killed by EAB — the risk of woodborers introduced in wood packaging; photo courtesy of John Hieftje, former mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan

I have asked the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection for comment, but have not yet received a reply.

Please note that these data do not include information about imports from other Asian countries … or shipments destined for U.S. ports in the Gulf or Atlantic (via the expanded Panama Canal) or to Canadian ports.

SOURCE

Haack RA, Hardin JA, Caton BP and Petrice TR (2022) Wood borer detection rates on wood packaging materials entering the United States during different phases of ISPM#15 implementation and regulatory changes. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 5:1069117. doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2022.1069117

Posted by Faith Campbell

We welcome comments that supplement or correct factual information, suggest new approaches, or promote thoughtful consideration. We post comments that disagree with us — but not those we judge to be not civil or inflammatory.

For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm

Or

https://fadingforests.org