Western North American Defoliator Working Group and Bark Beetle Technical Working Group Meeting Bend, Oregon October 23-25, 2018

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Tuesday, October 23 Western North American Defoliator Working Group Moderator: Darci Dickinson

Attendees There were 33 attendees along with 7 others who participated remotely via conference call. These included USDA Forest Service representatives from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, as well as from the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations and the Washington Office. State representatives from Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington were present as well as attendees from APHIS-PPQ and from private industry in Canada. A complete contact list is provided at the end of the meeting notes. Review of Previous Action Items Note: Action items to complete in 2019 are indicated in blue throughout the document.  Aerial Pesticide Applications: Nancy Sturdevant will compile a list of recent defoliator spray projects from all FS regions and descriptions of their relative effectiveness.  Douglas-fir tussock moth database: Iral Ragenovich is working with the Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team (FHAAST) to analyze the DFTM - Early Warning System trapping database.

 Douglas-fir tussock moth outbreaks: Carlos Polivka requested information regarding emerging or ongoing outbreaks of DFTM to assist in virus modeling research.

 Western Spruce Budworm: Darren Blackford and others are continuing to compile an EndNote database on WSB and silvicultural approaches. Darren will provide this, when complete, for posting on the working group website.

 Western Spruce Budworm: Beth Willhite requested input on what information would be valuable for planned analyses of Bruce Hostetler’s 11-year WSB impact study plots.

 Balsam woolly adelgid: The WNADWG moderator will schedule a session on BWA, for the 2019 meeting, focused on current survey/monitoring/research needs and interactions with bark beetles and other damaging agents.

 Pandora moth: Jim Kruse requested Pandora moth life stages be provided where available to assist in ongoing population genetic analyses.

 Black Pineleaf Scale: Amy Gannon and August Kramer requested reports or other information from the working group on black pineleaf scale.

 Defoliator-Bark Beetle Interactions: Alex Pane (Univ. of WA graduate student) requested reports or other information from the working group on interactions between defoliators, bark beetles and woodborers in Douglas-fir and/or red alder.

Annual State and Regional Reports

Note: Defoliator conditions reports were distributed to the group and provide additional details to the summaries below. Please contact the individuals listed here for more information or copies of these reports.

European and Asian Gypsy Moth in the West  Karen Ripley and Jim LaBonte provided the following updates for Oregon and Washington:

In 2018, ODA trapped 35 gypsy moths at 9 sites – all EGM. They’re proposing to treat one site in Corvallis (45 acres) in spring 2019, where 27 moths were detected. The treatment will be a ground-based application. ODA’s 2018 gypsy moth report can be found here: https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/Pages/GypsyMoth.aspx

In 2018, WSDA trapped 52 gypsy moths – 51 EGM and 1 AGM. They’re proposing to treat four sites totaling approximately 1,700 acres this spring. These include 3 EGM detection sites and the site of the 1 AGM capture, the first detection in WA since 2015. Details on these detections and the proposed treatments can be found here: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/insects-pests-and-weeds/gypsy-moth

 Andrea Hefty provided an update on the single AGM capture that occurred near Santa Cruz, CA in 2017. In 2018, another single AGM was detected nearby, but there are no plans for eradication treatments at this time.

 Robbie Flowers provided the following summary of AGM monitoring overseas: Because of continued AGM detections in the U.S., the USDA maintains a map of high-risk areas in cooperation with the governments of Russia, Japan, China, and South Korea. These cooperative programs minimize the risk of AGM introductions into North America through inspections and certifications of vessels entering U.S. ports from these locations. Cooperative port monitoring and ship inspection programs for AGM and other Lymantria spp. are conducted annually in many overseas ports within the designated high-risk area. Ongoing program goals include: 1) continuing to improve communication among stakeholders, the shipping industry, and the National Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO); 2) increasing the number of vessels arriving with compliance certificates; and 3) developing best regulatory options for increasing program compliance and reducing potential introductions into North America.

In 2018, there were 25 AGM detections by U.S. CBP on 1569 vessels (Japan: 21, Russia: 1, China: 2, South Korea: 1). Infested ships are usually ordered out of U.S. waters to be cleaned and are re-inspected on return; which is costly to the shipping companies affected. This year, vessel inspection and certification compliance reached a high of 92%, and has steadily improved over the last decade. Meetings among the various government agencies that cooperate in these programs are ongoing and included recent visits to the U.S. and Canada by representatives from Russia in 2017 and South Korea in 2018.

Note: Other gypsy moth detections in the western U.S. were provided by State and regional forest health representatives as part of the annual insect defoliator summary reports.

Douglas-fir Tussock Moth (DFTM)

 DFTM highlight reports by state and region were distributed to the working group by: Lee Pedersen (R1), Darren Blackford (R4), Amy Lockner/Rebecca Stokes (R2), Monica Gaylord (R3), Andrea Hefty/Sheri Smith (R5), Jason Moan (AK), Tom Eckberg/Erika Eidson (ID), Amy Gannon (MT), Christine Buhl (OR), Melissa Fischer (WA) and Lorraine Maclauchlan (BC).

 Connie Mehmel provided an updated on increasing populations and defoliation by DFTM in Wenatchee NF in R6: Additional monitoring and sampling is ongoing and an aerial spray project using TM Biocontrol virus is being considered in 2019.

 Laura Lowrey provided the following update on DFTM in southern Idaho: Defoliation continued in the Sagehen Reservoir Recreation Area of the Boise NF where previous trapping and egg mass/larval surveys indicated likely increases in 2018. Defoliation generally increased from less than 1/3 of the live crown to up to 2/3 across this area during a two-week period with extreme temperatures in July and August. Defoliation and egg mass surveys were completed in fall 2018 over the 30,000 Sagehen EA area at the request of the Forest Supervisor. The sampling indicated another year of heavy defoliation in 2019, with bark beetle outbreaks likely to follow given the ongoing drought and poor snowpack predictions for 2019. Western spruce budworm was also present, but did not compete well within the surveyed area. Additional monitoring and sampling will be completed in 2019.

 Erika Eidson and Tom Eckberg provided the following DFTM update for Idaho: Trap captures in southern ID began increasing in 2014 with visible defoliation observed near Craters of the Moon NM, the Owyhee Mountains and the Payette and Boise NFs in 2017. In 2018, widespread defoliation was observed on the Boise NF as well as State and Private lands; logging activity occurred within affected areas on Boise-Cascade lands. There was an issue with annual forest health flights this year in terms of ADS timing and interference from smoke. This resulted in much of the 2018 defoliation not being documented. Ground surveys indicated up to 90% defoliation in some areas. DFTM egg mass sequential surveys also found large numbers, with virus and parasite activity observed at some sites. In northern ID, trap captures increased dramatically in 2018 and visible defoliation is expected within 2 years.

 Lorraine Maclaughlan submitted the following update on DFTM in British Columbia: In British Columbia, there was visible DFTM defoliation in the Kamloops area in 2017 and 2018. Most of our permanent trapping sites have been showing increases, with some sites in the Okanagan area with >20 moths/trap this year. Further defoliation is expected in the area next year. We are putting out three lure types (Synergy, Scott’s, and ChemTica) in all of our monitoring locations for the duration of one outbreak cycle. This is similar to the testing being done by Iral in the PNW. Please let me know if any additional information from BC would be of interest.

 The DFTM trapping data has been updated and is currently available on the R6 website from 1979-2017 as a Microsoft Access database. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/forest- grasslandhealth/insects-diseases/?cid=stelprdb5374307

 Lee Pederson has provided the final draft of the DFTM Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet (FIDL) to Karen Ripley for review and publication.

Western Spruce Budworm (WSB)

 Nancy Sturdevant was unable to attend this year, but will provide an update on WSB monitoring/impact plots in R1 in 2019.

 Lorraine Maclaughlan submitted the following update on WSB in British Columbia: WSB is building again throughout B.C., with the most noticeable increase in defoliation and density of egg masses (212 sites sampled to-date in 2018) in the Cariboo. There may be a small spray program (<12,000 ha) in 2019. Populations are also building in the Thompson- Okanagan Region but in very spatially discrete areas so no B.t.k. spray program is planned for 2019. The aerial overview mapping is not yet available for the Kootenay Boundary but small areas of defoliation were noted just north of the U.S. border. No spray programs are planned there in 2019. We anticipate WSB populations will expand significantly over the next few years in all the historic areas.

 Beth Willhite provided an update on Bruce Hostetler’s WSB impact plots in R6: Bruce installed 25 plots (representing >5,600 trees) and monitored these from 1986-1997 (absent 1-year). Beth Willhite is pursuing FHM Evaluation Monitoring funding to have these data analyzed by a new graduate student supervised by Dave Shaw at Oregon State University. These data analyses have the potential to reveal structural changes from WSB and may assist in predicting top-kill and mortality.

Note: Other WSB trends and project highlights were provided by State and regional forest health representatives as part of the annual insect defoliator summary reports.

Balsam Woolly Adelgid (BWA)  Darci Dickinson submitted the following on BWA in WA state: Attempts have been made to delineate BWA in Washington State using roadside surveys from 2014-2018. Methods include driving all the roads along the borders of ID and Canada and stopping each mile to look for BWA (~431 sites). At each site, the location would be searched for 8 minutes or until BWA is found. Date recorded included: tree species, severity of infestation, type of infestation (bole, gout or both), elevation, aspect and slope, etc. Results indicated that when subalpine fir was present there was a higher attack rate than in other hosts. Attack severity, gouting and bole infestations were also higher in subalpine fir than in grand fir or Pacific silver fir. Next steps include completing data analysis and reporting from the surveys, as well as the findings from 40 permanent plots re-measurements.

 Laura Lowrey provided an update on BWA long-term and ADS impact plots in ID: The objectives of establishing a series of permanent plots included to follow the progression of BWA occurrence and impacts for all size classes of true fir over time and to analyze the relationship between BWA and climate (in association with Jeff Hicke, Univ. of Idaho). At the 10-year re-measurement, infestations were found at 24 of 26 locations, including sites up to 9,600’ elevation. Within that timeframe, a large number of >5” dbh trees had been killed, with some plots having >70% mortality. This included mortality in the regeneration at some locations. By the next 5-year re-measurement, some habitat types will likely have changed as climate trajectories favor species that can tolerate warmer/drier sites. 4

BWA impact plots have also been established relative to annual aerial detection surveys (ADS). Objectives included: 1) to quantify the actual stand-level damage when BWA damage is first detected during aerial survey in southern Idaho and 2) to quantify the potential for crown fire behavior and wildfire severity in these areas. Methods were to establish 1/50 acre plots (3-6 plots/location) and record data for all trees >5” dbh. This included BWA symptoms (codes for crown, stem infestation and vigor) as well as total height and lower crown height to aid in crown modeling. Brown’s Transects were also done for modeling fuels. All trees were infested at most plot locations and tree mortality was >20%. In general, aerial surveyors were coding BWA infestations correctly, although in colder- areas spruce-fir broom rust and lichens confuse led to some confusion. We are continuing data analyses to look at fuels issues and it’s relation to potential crown fire behavior.  Laura Lowrey provided a presentation on BWA on behalf of Abbi Chadbourn and Keith Reinhardt from Idaho State Univ.: This research focused on BWA infestations in subalpine fir stands in southern ID and northern UT. Plots were established (9/site) at locations in Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT (Wasatch NF), Pine Creek Pass, ID (Caribou-Targhee NF) and Mores Creek Summit, ID (Boise NF). BWA infestations and tree responses were quantified using overall crown condition (gouting, presence of insects on crown and stem and tree vigor) and standard plot measurements (tree heights, dbh, regeneration, base crown height, etc.). Tree biological/physiological assessments included needle tissue chemistry (Carbon and Nitrogen), needle moisture content and branch hydraulic conductance. Analyses are ongoing with plans to sample again in 2019 and expand the scope of the physiological measurements. In particular, we are interested in the speed of infestation and decline of tree functioning and determining if this is related to environmental and/or genetic variables.

 Darren Blackford and Danielle Malesky provided a BWA update for UT: BWA surveys in R1/4 indicated what is believed to be range expansion into new areas, including WY and UT. BWA is now confirmed in Boxelder, Cache, Davis, Weber, Morgan, Summit and Salt Lake counties in UT. It has not been confirmed in ground surveys in WY. Darren Blackford discussed a new Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (PIAP) proposal, developed with Don Grosman of Arborjet, which would focus on systemic treatments for BWA in subalpine fir.

Other Defoliators  Spruce Aphid Amanda Grady provided the following on spruce aphid in Arizona: Recent efforts have been focused on detection monitoring, intensive site surveys, new treatment alternatives and multi-agency coordination support for spruce aphid in the White Mountain Apache (WMA) tribal lands and Fort Apache BIA. Annual aerial detection surveys documented an outbreak on WMA lands from 2015-2018, which has impacted over 34,000 acres. FHM Evaluation Monitoring funds in 2016 allowed for the installation of spruce aphid-caused defoliation and mortality plots (23 plots, 1/10 ac). Results to date indicate 32% mortality of overstory spruce (>5” dbh) and 43% mortality of spruce saplings and regeneration. PIAP funding was obtained to test microbial bio-pesticide (Beauveria bassiana) for spruce aphid control in 2018 and ground-based treatments on NF and private lands are planned for 2019.  Oystershell Scale

Amanda also provided an update on oystershell scale damage in R3. It is an emergent and invasive pest that is contributing to the decline of aspen in some lower elevation areas. In

2018, scale treatments were done in 40 acre aspen exclosures on the Flagstaff RD. In the Coconino NF, 2 exclosures were assessed to compare coppice treatments and thinning to a 10x10’ spacing (retaining the least infected). On the Kaibab NF, treatments were done in 16 exclosures that consisted of removing all infested trees <8” dbh.

 Pandora Moth  Amanda also reported on a continuing Pandora moth outbreak in R3, with damage occurring along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

 Robbie Flowers reported on an ongoing Pandora moth outbreak in R6: It is believed to be in the 5th year of the outbreak, with adults first observed in 2015 and small areas of defoliation seen in 2016. A special aerial survey was done in 2018, and over 145,000 acres of defoliation was mapped in central Oregon. The outbreak is expected to continue in 2019, and efforts will be focused on early public outreach through OSU Forestry Extension, the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project and other outlets.

 Jim Kruse requested Pandora moth samples be provided where available to assist in genetic analyses. Please contact Jim for more information on this project.

 (White) Satin Moth

 Gene Philips reported on satin moth defoliation in NV near high-profile recreation areas including Lake Tahoe: In 2018, defoliation was severe at Marlette Lake, in the flanks of Snow Valley Peak and in isolated stands on the east side of Lake Tahoe. Aerial detection survey showed approx. 328 acres of defoliation, a 45% increase from 2017. Marlette Lake averaged >75% defoliation, causing aesthetic impacts relative to fall colors. Mortality was estimated to be >20% of the stand and continued heavy defoliation is expected. In 2018, satin moth was also found in Ash and Kings Canyons, Mt. Rose Wilderness (outside the basin) and in the Glenbrook area to South Lake Tahoe; spread onto landscape trees was also noted.

Plans for 2018 include working with the Tahoe Resource Team within NV to cooperatively inform the public via fact sheets, updates, and reporting as well as provide State Parks staff training in identification. There are also plans to increase the monitoring and trapping efforts to better understand population trends and distribution. A Univ. of Nevada-Reno researcher, in cooperation with the NV Div. of Forestry, has also began a FHM Evaluation Monitoring project to examine the impacts of genetics, local environment and stand history. A new fact sheet focused on management guidelines for satin moth is also being developed with state and university cooperation.

 Danny Cluck also described satin moth defoliation on NF lands in Region 5 in 2018, including Montreal Canyon in the Lake Tahoe Basin MU and areas of the Plumas NF.

 Western Tussock Moth

Danny Cluck also described Western tussock moth defoliation in R5 on bitterbrush on BLM lands near the Plumas and Humboldt-Toiyabe NFs this year.

 Bigleaf Maple Decline

Beth Willhite presented on decline in bigleaf maple: Crown dieback and some tree mortality has been noted in westside areas of Washington and Oregon since 2009. The cause for the decline and mortality of these trees is unknown. The pathogens causing Verticillium wilt, Armillaria root disease, and bacterial scorch have been ruled out as primary causal factors. In the Cowlitz River Valley, high populations of a native leafhopper, Empoasca sp., appear to be consistently associated with symptomatic trees, but systemic insecticide studies that attempted to assess their relative impact were inconclusive. In 2018, roadside surveys in western Oregon were completed. Site data included the presence/absence of leafhoppers as well as topographic, forest type, soils, site history, and hydrologic proximity information. Individual tree data collection included DBH, position (canopy/forest), seed crop and crown symptoms by crown-thirds. Crown symptom evaluations examined the degree of yellow tipping and chlorosis, leaf size, and the extent of leaf cupping, wilting and dying/dead. Data analyses are ongoing and preliminary findings will be presented in 2019.

 Fall Webworm

 Beth also reported on large concentrations of fall webworm in areas of western Oregon and Washington in 2018.

 Mike Johnson reported on fall webworm at the Five Creeks Project Area on the north end of the Steens Mountains in OR: Several other defoliators were also found at these sites including alder leaf rollers and miners, alder dagger moth (Acronicta dactylina) and the spotted tussock moth (Lophocampa maculata).

 Alder Flea Beetle Robbie Flowers and Stacy Hishinuma reported on severe alder flea beetle defoliation occurring this year in riparian areas of both central OR and southern CA, respectively.

 Western Hemlock Looper

 Darci Dickinson reported on Western hemlock looper defoliation near Baker Lake, WA, near the Canadian border: The last outbreak in this area was in 2011-2012. Defoliation was spotty in the overstory, and in the understory, it included both the primary host as well as other shrub species. More defoliation is expected in 2019 due to the reports of moths this year; moss sampling to obtain egg counts is also planned.

 Tom Eckberg reported an outbreak of Western hemlock looper on the Nez Perce NF in Idaho: Light defoliation and large numbers of adults were observed in the Clearwater and St. Joe Valleys. Outbreaks have occurred there historically approximately every decade.

 Leaf and Blotch Miners

Darci Dickinson reported on leaf and blotch miners (Phyllonorycter spp.) in northeast WA. A blotch miner in alder was found near Noisy Creek Campground, close to the ID border, and by Sullivan Lake. The species of miner(s) is still being determined and may be co-occurring with a foliar pathogen in some areas. Other blotch miners, including the tentiform leaf miner

(Phyllonorycter nipigon) on cottonwood and the serpentine leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella) on aspen, were also observed in northeastern WA.

 New Exotic Defoliator Threats to Western Oregon

Jim LaBonte described a number of non-native insect species in Oregon that may represent a threat to forest ecosystems: These included: European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer), the Azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyriodes), oak lace bug (Corythuca arcuata), the greenhouse thrips (Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis) and European oak phylloxera (Phylloxera quercus spp. group). Some things these species have in common include: most are not “traditional” defoliators in that they are all both horticultural and landscape pests, several have never been known for landscape effects, the pathway for all of these was almost certainly live plants for planting, and we don’t really know what effects they will have in western forests. Of the 110 new exotic species that have been found established in Oregon from 2007 until now, over 63% are herbivores.

Research Updates  Btk & IGR’s to treat defoliators Steve Nicholson from Valent Biosciences presented on their latest research and develop on microbial insecticides, plant and insect growth regulators, seed enhancement products, biofungicides and nematicides: Currently, they produce five microbes and several plant growth regulators through fermentation processes based on naturally occurring hormones/bacteria as well as two insect growth regulators; none are GMOs. Forest health products include Bt-kurstaki, Bt-tenebrionis, and tebufenozide IGR. Steve also reviewed the history of early insecticides and aerial applications for forest defoliators in the U.S. and the development of alternative bio-pesticides. Their current focus is on gaining a greater understanding of insect behavior, physiology, application technology, spray weather and efficacy assessments. Forest protection challenges have driven aerial application technology including aircraft aerodynamics and navigation, atomizer design and placement, and spray drift and deposition. There have also been independent human health and epidemiological studies on Foray B.t.k. formulations, which are now OMRI (organic) certified. Mimic 2LV IGR (tebufenozide) has also been safely used in ID, MT, PA, WV, OH and MD. Applications include an “Early Intervention Program” for Eastern spruce budworm. Forest health application technologies have also helped save lives through mosquito control projects for diseases including Zika and Dengue viruses.

 Tree mortality following a pine butterfly outbreak on the Malheur NF

Dave Shaw presented an update on pine butterfly in eastern Oregon: From 2008 to 2012, the Malheur NF was subject to an outbreak of pine butterfly in ponderosa pine that peaked at ~250,000 acres of visible-defoliation in 2011. Graduate student Ari DeMarco established 25 randomly located stands for determining defoliation patterns. Defoliation was extensive and severe, averaging 67% of the crown. Study findings were that it occurred independently of crown-thirds, crown class, stand density or structure. Within 15 plots, 441 trees were monitored for mortality from 2012-2016 and only 35 trees died (2% mortality rate). So, the outbreak did not cause massive mortality in the short term. However, moderate-severe drought occurred from 2015-2017 and further analyses showed that subsequent bark beetle-related mortality was correlated with total years of defoliation. These findings suggest

that weather patterns, particularly prolonged drought, following defoliation events is an important variable affecting tree mortality and should be considered along with other factors such as defoliation history and dynamics/severity.

 Sawfly and bark beetle activity in Bull Basin, AZ

Ann Lynch presented on her work with Bull Basin sawfly (Neodiprion fulviceps) and associated bark beetle activity (Dendroctonus adjunctus and D. brevicomis). Plots were installed in association with R3 FHP and classified by defoliation and subsequent bark beetle mortality. Targeted samples occurred both outside and inside ADS-mapped outbreak areas. Tree-ring reconstruction of FHP plot-based and targeted samples indicated that the outbreak began about 2004 (outside of and earlier than mapped) and affected 50% of trees by 2008. The severity of the recent outbreak was not anomalous to previous outbreaks. Of note was an extended outbreak in the 1920s where defoliated, beetle-killed, and non/less- defoliated results were similar. Highly synchronous and severe outbreaks were found from 1915-1935/37 and from 2004/2008-sample date. The tree-ring record contained more “noise” before 1915 and from 1945-2004. Current work is focused on comparing pre- outbreak growth records of beetle-killed trees versus survivors, analyses to quantify duration and periodicity (guess-timate ~24 and 90 yrs), and superposed epoch analysis for climate variables (none are expected). The OUTBREAK program has been coded in R (Guiterman and Lynch) to facilitate further analyses in 2019.

 DFTM virus modeling research update Carlos Polivka presented on biocontrol of DFTM, providing an update on models, outbreaks and epizootics: In these studies, mechanistic SEIR models were used to predict epizootic dynamics. The models estimate transmission rates and initial host density thresholds (from natural and biocontrol epizootics). In 2017, sequential egg mass surveys were completed in southern ID within Craters of the Moon NP and Boise NF. The model prediction was that across the whole range of larval density, there was a robust epizootic, with an initial infection rate of 0.0001 and 0.001, and indicated that a spray project was unnecessary. Findings suggested that increased detection efforts may be required for very low initial infection rates (Carran et al., in press). Efforts to refine the models are continuing in 2018 and research questions include: 1) is the transmission rate estimate too high (from outbreak-ending epizootics, experiments too artificial and/or do they need new model fit with 2018 “epizootic” data), 2) is a higher initial infection rate needed or was there an incorrect initial population size, and 3) is there a need to better examine the host-pathogen biology/ecology?  Exploring spatiotemporal dynamics of insect outbreaks Alexander Pane from the Univ. of WA presented his graduate student research focused on spatiotemporal dynamics of insect outbreaks: Climate change has important ramifications in insect populations, in terms of biotic disturbances including potential shifts in outbreak frequency, intensity and/or synchrony. Research questions and objectives include: 1) are there large-scale insect outbreak patterns and if so, have they changed through time, 2) is the synchrony and periodicity of insect outbreaks changing, and 3) are there spatial and/or temporal thresholds that define biotic disturbance hotspots? Aerial survey data were used to examine these by removing cells that did not contain forest land (NLCD and VRI data), extracting all defoliator and bark beetle damage data by year (1960-2017) for each 10x10km grid cell. Disturbance agent, severity (for defoliators), area disturbed, host species (US data only), and other attributes were maintained. Analyses are ongoing for many of the major western defoliators and bark beetles. Future objectives will include attempts to identify broad

scale spatial and temporal patterns of potentially interacting biotic disturbance agents, establish spatial and temporal thresholds that define biotic disturbance hotspots and determine the processes and mechanisms that potentially underlie the observed patterns.

 New remote sensing projects in Region 5

The R5 FHP and the R5 Remote Sensing Lab received 2018 STDP funding for continued development of a Landsat-based disturbance detection tool (“eDaRT”) in high elevation white pine forests to map disturbances, including mortality, in an automated manner for eleven R5 and R6 forests. They plan to assemble existing and new field data and perform spectral data analysis. Deliverables will include 30m scale maps of disturbance type and severity on a sub-annual basis.

They also received 2018 FHM EM funding to use ground surveys and high-resolution imagery to assess accuracy of Aerial Detection Survey (ADS) and remote sensing methods (eDaRT) to provide information to land managers and the public about the extent and type of forest health disturbances.

New Action Items - All action items are denoted in blue and have been incorporated above.

Next Meeting

The 2019 WNADWG meeting will be hosted by CALFIRE, the California Forest Pest Council and USDA-FS Forest Health Protection, R5. It will be held in San Diego, CA from October 22- 24th concurrent with the annual BBTWG. A field trip will be scheduled to look at invasive insect pests in the San Diego area.

Wednesday, October 24 Western North American Defoliator Working Group and Bark Beetle Technical Working Group – Combined Discussion Moderators: Darci Dickinson & Christine Buhl

Defoliator, Bark Beetle and Other Interactions: Pacific Northwest in Focus  Western redcedar decline (Presenters: Sarah Navarro, Dave Shaw, Christine Buhl) This presentation focused on dieback of western redcedar in Oregon, seemingly without a consistent causal agent. The pattern of damage and mortality consists of a thinning canopy, flagging and/or topkill, followed by whole-tree mortality within approximately one-year. Insect agents that have been identified as contributing to this include cedar bark beetles (Phloeosinus punctatus), western cedar borer (Trachykele blondeli) and/or amethyst cedar borer (Semanotus amethystinus). However, these were generally found at endemic levels acting secondarily to other factors. In terms of diseases, no pathogens have been consistently isolated. Drought, at least initially, does not appear to be a factor at many sites. However, this deserves further examination as well as factors related to soil and/or site quality. Further investigations are planned in 2019.

 Drought monitoring tools and outlook (Presenter: Christine Buhl) The focus of this presentation was on reviewing physiological responses of avoidance, resistance and tolerance by trees to drought stress and understanding how best to communicate this to clients in terms of best management practices from the scale of individual landscape trees up to forest ecosystems. New tools and online resources available to assist in these efforts were described, including State Water Conditions reports, USDA Drought Monitor maps, Westwide Drought Tracker (PRISM data) and Drought.gov.

 The Oregon Bee Project (Presenter: Christine Buhl) This presentation covered the new Oregon Bee Project, which was developed in response to concerns about colony collapse disorder in honeybees as well as reports of declines of native pollinators at many scales. The mission of this project is to bring together Oregonians around a science-based strategy for protecting and promoting wild and managed bees through education, pollinator-friendly practices, and research. Objectives are to engage the public in understanding bee ecology and requirements, collect baseline bee population data (by researchers and citizen scientists), research bee health (toxicology, diseases, ecology, etc.), BMP-training on bee-friendly pesticide applications, and to showcase and incentivize bee-friendly practices. https://www.oregonbeeproject.org/ As part of these efforts, forestry companies like Hampton Associates have installed pollinator habitat plots and native bee population monitoring in actively managed stands. Practices to promote bees in managed forests include providing diverse forage (shapes versus color, extended bloom, etc.), to allow forage to grow along edges of stands and roadsides, to apply pesticides when bees are less active (cold days, evenings, offseason, etc.), to avoid pesticide drift or leakage into water sources (puddles, irrigation ditches, etc.), to not sanitize harvest sites (leave stumps, down wood, etc.) and to remove aggressive or invasive plants that outcompete native forage.  Goddard’s LiDAR, Hyperspectral & Thermal Imager (GliHT) update (Presenters: Robbie Flowers, Ryan Hanavan and Andy Graves)

Since 2014, the USDA-FS Forest Health Protection and Aviation have partnered with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to integrate commercially-available LiDAR, hyperspectral, and thermal detection components to produce a compact, lightweight and portable system that can be used on a wide range of airborne platforms. The result of this instrument fusion was G-LiHT, which is being used in support of NASA Earth Science research projects as well as being evaluated for detections and assessments of forest disturbances, including important insects and diseases. From 2014-2017, G-LiHT data acquisitions in the eastern U.S. were focused on emerald ash borer (Pontius et al. 2017), gypsy moth (Meng et al. 2018a), southern pine beetle (Hanavan et al., in prep) and white pine needle cast (Hanavan et al., in prep) as well as burn severity (Meng et al. 2018b).

In 2018, data acquisitions were completed in the western U.S. and were focused on western bark beetles, Douglas-fir tussock moth, western spruce budworm and Armillaria root disease. G-LiHT data collection and analyses are ongoing and we’re continuing to work with NASA Goddard and the G-LiHT team on methods development, targeted forest health data acquisitions, streamlining data analyses and delivery and integration with annual forest health aerial surveys and other types of remote sensing.

References:

Meng, R., P.E. Dennison, F. Zhao, I. Shendryk, A. Rickert, R.P. Hanavan, S.P. Serbin. 2018a. Mapping canopy defoliation by herbivorous insects at the individual tree level using bi-temporal airborne imaging spectroscopy and LiDAR measurements. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 215, pp. 170-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.06.008

Meng, R., J. Wu, F. Zhao, B.D. Cook, R.P. Hanavan and S.P. Serbin. 2018b. Measuring short-term post-fire forest recovery across a burn severity gradient in a mixed pine-oak forest using multi-sensor remote sensing techniques. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 210, pp. 282-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.03.019

Pontius, J., R.P. Hanavan, R. Hallett, B.D. Cook and L.A. Corp. 2017. High spatial resolution spectral unmixing for mapping ash species across a complex urban environment. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 199, pp. 360-369.

Note: The above presentations and discussions were difficult to capture in the notes provided, please contact the presenters for more information.

FHP Washington Office Update  Organizational and Budget Update Bob Rabaglia from FHP-WO provided an update from FHP in the Washington Office. In terms of the annual FHP budget, it appears we will remain in a Continuing Resolution for 2019. Over the last 5 years, the budget has declined from $111M to $96.5M (FY18 enacted); however, there was an increase of $2M this year relative to 2017. The proposed Western Bark Beetle Program (PSR) allocation for 2018 was $4M. The formula developed and approved by the FHP Directors, which incorporates the NIDRM and ADS data, will be used again this year to split the funding at the Regional level. The estimated allocation for the program in 2019 will remain at $4M. Forest Health conditions national reports for 2016 and 2017 will be out soon, please contact Bruce Moltzan in the Washington Office for more information. The Pest Event Reporter (PER) and Pest Portal are also in the process of being revised in cooperaton with FHAAST. The EDRR Non-Native Bark and Ambrosia Beetles Program celebrated 12 years and is set to continue in 10 states in 2018. There is also a new effort to expand the trapping to include cerambycid lures in some states. A new 10-year summary of program findings has been published and is provided below. Since 2007, three species new to North America were found in EDRR trapping (Xyleborinus octiesdentatus, X. artestriatus, and Xylosandrus amputatus). Another recent taxonomic publication provides species delineation within the Euwallacea fornicatus complex (aka polyphagus shothole borer) and that is provided below as well. Recent retirements of note in the FHAAST Engineering and Application Program include Harold Thistle and Dick Reardon. References: Rabaglia, R.J, A.I. Cognato, E.R. Hoebeke, C.W. Johnson, J.R. LaBonte, M.E. Carter and J.J. Vlach. 2019. Early Detection and Rapid Response: A 10-year summary of the USDA Forest Service program of surveillance for non-native bark and ambrosia beetles. American Entomologist, 65(1): 29-42. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmz015

Gomez, D.F., J. Skelton, M.S. Steininger, R. Stouthamer, P. Rugman-Jones, W. Sittichaya, R.J. Rabaglia, and J. Hulcr. 2018. Species delineation within the Euwallacea fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) complex revealed by morphometric and phylogenetic analyses. Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixy018

 Updates on the USDA-FS Special Technology Development Program (STDP) and Evaluation Monitoring Program (EM)

Vanessa Lopez from FHAAST provided an update on the STDP program. In 2018, STDP funded 23 projects totaling $936,207. Of these projects, 9 are new and 14 are continuing projects that were awarded in previous years. These projects were selected by an evaluation panel comprised of representatives from each FS Region, in addition to representatives from Research and Development, and the Eastern Forest and Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Centers. Products developed through STDP have enhanced our management capabilities by advancing monitoring and early detection technologies, landscape scale modeling and analyses, and novel management techniques. For a list of projects funded this year and/or for more information on this program, please contact Vanessa.

Bob Rabaglia provided an update on the FHM EM program for Tom Eager in the Washington Office. Due to declining National Forest Health budgets, there has been less funding allocated to EM Projects over the past several years. As part of national direction, discretionary funding for the FS Regions was discontinued in 2018. This year, EM funded 19 projects totaling $620,000. Of these projects, 11 are new and 8 are continuing projects that were awarded in previous years. Projecting these allocations into the future, there will be a total of 12 continuing projects in 2019. So, if they were to receive the same total funding as this year, this would leave about $300K for new projects nationally.

 New Identification Aids for Western Forest Insects

Jim Labonte described and demonstrated the new and/or revised online keys and screening aids that he and colleagues at the OR Dept. of Agriculture have developed. The most recent efforts include a key to the genera of the Cerambycidae of western North America, a screening aid for Scolytinae of the western U.S., a key to the genera of the North American Scolytinae, and a screening aid and key to the genera of the Buprestidae of the western U.S. Jim asked for feedback from the working group as they further refine these tools.

All of the current keys and screening aids developed by ODA can be found here: https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/IPPM/InsectsSpiders/Pages/IdentifyInsect.aspx

Combined Working Group Action Items Note: Action items are noted in blue.  Gray Literature Project Beth Willhite provided an update on the Gray Literature project, which continues to work towards preserving thousands of historical FS and FHP documents. Initial reposits have been housed within the NFS Library as a new online repository called CONTENTdm and are available for viewing and downloading. https://nfsl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/

In 2018, the National Director of FHP committed to funding a 2-year term position to coordinate historical document reposits beginning in 2019. The FTE will be with the National Forest Service Library in Ft. Collins and we are hoping to have it filled by early 2019. Please stay tuned for the official launch of the National effort after the position is filled. Beth also thanked the R6 FHP Director/Assistant Director, as well as several other Regional Directors, for making this effort possible through their support.

 Revision of Western Forest Insects Iral Ragenovich indicated that the revision of this publication is approximately 90% complete. She is still awaiting some sections that have been committed to by authors and is requesting that all revisions be provided by May 2019. Contact Iral for more information.  Working Group Websites The BBTWG and WNADWG webpages are currently hosted on the R6 website and include meeting information and contacts, previous meeting notes, reports, and other content. Robbie Flowers maintains these pages and will add content as requested.  Forest Insect and Disease Leaflets (FIDLs) Karen Ripley provided an update on the most recently developed/revised FIDLs (#76 Heterobasidion Root Disease in Eastern Conifers, #86 Douglas-fir tussock moth, #186 Western hemlock looper and #188 Armillaria root disease). The current list of FIDLs that have been proposed was provided as a handout. Karen indicated that Sheryl Romero has designed a simplified FIDLs website and has offered to maintain it; it will be hosted by FHAAST. Karen is coordinating efforts to transfer existing and new FIDLs content to the website and assure 508 compliance.  Bark and Ambrosia Beetle Taxonomy Training A bark and ambrosia beetle identification training will be offered on March 4-8, 2019 by the OR Dept. of Agriculture in Salem, OR. As with past ODA bark and ambrosia beetle identification workshops, this workshop will focus on western taxa but will treat all North American genera as well as some eastern species, especially those exotic species that are survey targets. Digital image-based identification aids will be the core of the instruction but traditional taxonomic literature will also be used. Since the emphasis will be on digital aids, participants must bring a laptop, notebook, or similar means of viewing PowerPoint presentations. There will be extensive lab sessions since the best way to develop identification skills is to work with specimens and the identification tools. Reference material from the ODA collection will be available. Participants are encouraged to bring unidentified specimens as this material provides an excellent basis upon which to practice and apply identification skills. Please contact Jim LaBonte for registration information.

Additional bark and ambrosia beetle taxonomy trainings will be offered in 2019 as requested by FHP and/or State cooperators. Please contact Bob Rabaglia for more information.

 Western Forest Insect Work Conference Rebecca Stokes provided an update for Sky Stephens on the 69th meeting of the WFIWC to be held April 23-25 in Anchorage, AK. Currently, the meetings management system has capped USDA-FS attendance at 32 people and/or $30,000. Sky is working with our meetings management contact to increase the amount of expenditures allowed. Additional

information on the 2019 meeting can be found here: https://wfiwc.org/content/2019- anchorage-alaska  Post-fire Tree Mortality Guidelines Bill Schaupp provided an update on efforts to develop a post-fire mortality publication and/or marking guidelines for R6. He is working with Sharon Hood on selecting appropriate models for the PNW and Bill plans to complete a draft before he retires in April 2019. Nancy Sturdevant indicated that they are currently working to select areas for post-fire assessments in R1 and they also hope to develop marking guidelines. Sheri Smith indicated that CALFIRE has recently developed a guide for private landowners as well.  Forest Health Treatment Priority Mapping Danny Cluck submitted the following update on an all-lands priority mapping project in California: FHP in R5 had previously analyzed a variety of readily-available corporate GIS data sets to identify NF lands susceptible to high levels of bark beetle-caused tree mortality, have a high likelihood of experiencing stand replacing wildfire and are accessible and appropriate for thinning. The NF maps are currently being used for project planning and guiding the development of several new projects in accordance with the Farm Bill insect and disease Categorical Exclusion treatment authority. The ALL LANDS version of the map expands on this previous NF analysis. Areas to consider for treatment priority covering ALL LANDS were identified using existing GIS data including R5 Existing Vegetation, stand density index, historic vegetation based on LANDFIRE, vegetation burn severity, FACTS data for areas thinned by USFS, data from the Univ. of Maryland’s Global Forest Change project for areas of stand-replacing disturbance, and percent slope. Results were categorized to identify treatment priority areas based on vegetation type and stand density susceptible to insects and/or fire. The highest priority group consisted of major pine types, pine-dominated mixed conifer and white fir/fir- dominated mixed conifer growing in areas that were historically pine-dominated. The second priority group consists of white fir/fir-dominated mixed conifer. All mapped areas exclude: 1) moderate and high-severity wildfire areas since at least 1998, 2) areas thinned by USFS since at least 2005, and 3) areas of stand-replacing disturbance, owing to clear-cut treatments or natural mortality, since at least 2005. The ALL LANDS version of the mapping effort is best suited for landscape-level planning, rather than stand-level planning, as data used to create treatment priority layers are not sufficiently detailed for use at the stand level. Areas mapped on non-NFS lands may not reflect recent management activities. Ground verification of prioritized stands is highly recommended. Danny indicated he would talk with their GIS analyst about developing a “how-to” document for replicating this process in other States or Regions.

Thursday, October 25 Bark Beetle Technical Working Group Moderator: Christine Buhl

Attendees There were 34 attendees along with 7 others who participated remotely via conference call. These included USDA Forest Service representatives from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, as well as from the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations 15 and the Washington Office. State representatives from Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington were present as well as an attendee from APHIS-PPQ and from private industry in Canada. A complete list is provided at the end of the meeting notes. Annual State and Regional Bark Beetle Reports Note: Bark beetle conditions reports were distributed to the group and provide additional details to the summaries below. Please contact the individuals listed here for more information or copies of these reports. Southern Pine Beetle (SPB)  Steve Clarke and Bob Rabaglia provided updates on SPB trapping and activity in R8 as well as the SPB Portal, SPBIS, and management: SPB continues to be found in the northeastern U.S. in what is thought to be a case of range expansion. Additional trapping in R9 is planned and 2019 as well as research on the genetic relationships among the more widely-distributed populations.

 Steve Clarke provided a presentation from Brian Sullivan (Southern Research Station, R8) on semiochemical lure cross-contamination: This problem was first detected from unexpected results in which a Sirex lure had trapped SPB. The cross-contamination was found to occur through the air while stored together in a freezer. Recommendations and BMPs following several experiments by the SRS include 1) storing lures separately in impermeable containers (mylar bags or mason jars) and 2) always heat-sealing the tops of ziplock-style mylar bags for long-term storage. Results indicated there is a high likelihood that cross-contamination has caused issues in semiochemical research and applications historically. However, the behavioral effects would have varied greatly given the differences in the response threshold of the insect, the concentration of the contaminant and the release rate of the lure. Ips Bark Beetles  Erica Eidson reported on new detections of Ips grandicollis in ID as part of their annual EDRR trapping program: Twenty-five beetles were captured at two sites, including the Lewiston shipping yard and the Ada County landfill near Boise. I. grandicollis is native to eastern North America, but it appears to be a good disperser as evidenced by its introduction into Australia in the 1940s. In North America, it was found in the Black Hills, SD in the 1960s and in MT in the 1980s. Further investigations in ID found that it had been infesting trees in the Boise area for several years; beetle identifications were made by Mal Furniss. It is unclear which pine species in the western U.S. may be affected by this beetle and additional trapping to examine its distribution is planned for 2019. Western Pine Beetle (WPB)  Danny Cluck reported on collaborative research with Beverly Bulaon and Cindy Snyder examining the life cycle of WPB in CA: They compared current peak flight periods and generations to historical observations made by Miller and Keen. Overall, current findings were consistent with historic descriptions, but there was more of a partial 3rd generation found in 2017-2018 and this was more pronounced as you moved further south in CA. In most locations, the partial 3rd generation has been found to disperse and overwinter, but some trees attacked by the partial 3rd generation in CA did eventually die. Other damaging agents were also involved in that tree mortality, making it difficult to interpret those results. The six generations reported in some literature was inaccurate.

Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB)  Dave Shaw discussed research on forest structural changes following MPB mortality events in lodgepole pine: Although considerable research has emerged concerning influence of MPB on forest fuels, there has been little work in the climax lodgepole pine forests of south-central OR. Specifically, they assessed changes in forest structure and crown and surface fuels across a chronosequence of MPB epidemics (1979 to 2008).

They classified four distinct periods in which significant changes occur in fuels: 1) overstory mortality stage, 2) standing snag and snag fall stage, 3) regeneration stage and 4) overstory recovery stage. Multivariate analyses indicated changes in crown fuels and forest structure following MPB epidemics were driven primarily by basal area of live and standing dead trees, canopy bulk density, canopy base height, and canopy height. Substantial declines in canopy bulk density occurred early (2 to 5 yrs) following beetle activity and slowly recovered over time. The pattern of succession of surface fuels following a MPB epidemic was largely determined by changes over time in 10-h, 100-h, and 1000-h fuel loads, in addition to increasing fuel bed depth. The 100-h fuel load increased over the entire 30-year period, while 1000-h fuel load reached an asymptote 14 to 26 years following epidemic initiation. Live woody fuels increased through the initial overstory mortality stage and began to decrease during the overstory recovery stage.

Key findings include: 1-h fuels and litter changed little over time, surface fuel loads changed dramatically between the standing snag and the regeneration stages, lodgepole pine remained dominant, and canopy bulk density was low throughout the chronosequence. These factors point to the perpetuation of a lodgepole pine-dominated system with a mixed-severity fire regime well into the future.

Publications: Woolley, T., D.C. Shaw, L.T. Hollingsworth, M.C. Agne, S. Fitzgerald, A. Eglitis, and L. Kurth. 2019. Beyond red crowns: complex changes in surface and crown fuels and their interactions 32 years following mountain pine beetle epidemics in south-central Oregon, USA. Fire Ecology Vol.15 (4). https://fireecology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42408-018-0010-z

 Robbie Flowers reported on research conducted by Mike Howe, a graduate student from the Univ. of WI, which was focused on tree defenses against MPB in whitebark and lodgepole pine: The objectives were to examine how whitebark and lodgepole pine respond to simulated MPB attack and are these responses in central OR similar to what occurs in trees in the Rockies and elsewhere. Induced defenses of the two species were elicited by simulated attack, using a cork borer and fungal inoculation (Grossmania clavigera). Phloem and foliage tissues were sampled before attack and 14-21 days post- treatment using an arch punch and pole pruners. The composition and concentration of defensive compounds will be analyzed using gas chromatography to assess terpene concentrations. Comparisons between phloem and foliar chemistry will be analyzed to examine how the “community” of defensive compounds shifts in response to treatments.

 Bill Schaupp reported on efforts to enhance “wolf” sugar pine in southern Oregon by radial thinning: Study sites consisted of 10 dense mixed conifer/hardwood forest stands in the Little River AMA on the Roseburg BLM District and the North Umpqua RD of the Umpqua NF. MPB had been killing individual sugar pine at these sites, but droughty weather, top and branch kill from blister rust, wind damage and unfavorable stand

conditions were also contributing factors. Treatments consisted of compressed radius thinning (10 ft), extended radius clearing (25 ft), extended radius with large tree rentention and controls.

Based on results from 2001-2009, it appeared that thinning around large sugar pines contributed to increased growth, decreased likelihood of bark beetle infestation, and promoted sugar pine regeneration. On sites with ridge tops exposed to high winds, stem breakage was a common mortality factor. It seemed less of a factor where thinning has been done with retention of one to several large trees around a large sugar pine than in un-thinned stands or where sugar pines are exposed in wide openings. Among treatments, the extended radius clearing, with reserve trees retained, appeared to be the best approach for retaining large sugar pines in mixed stands, while at the same time promoting adequate new sugar pine regeneration.

From 2010-2017 (or 10-16 years post-treatment), more beetle-caused mortality occurred among the treatments than in the remaining controls. Seedling sugar pine regeneration continued to increase and remained twice as common around treated trees compared with control trees. Sugar pine saplings were relatively infrequent, with most in the control or compressed radius treatments. Radial increment again increased more on treated versus control trees, yet it was similar among treatments. It appeared to decline overall, however, compared with the results from the first nine years post-treatment. Stem breakage from wind very low during this time, with only one tree recorded.

Taken in total, tree mortality was similar during the first nine years (13 percent), as compared with the subsequent seven years (15%). Overall, 72 percent of the wolf sugar pine were alive after 16 years. Mortality from MPB showed minor differences among treatments and control, despite significant basal area variation. Mortality was also patchy, with one-stand containing 25% of all MPB-caused mortality. The weather was likely a significant factor where there was increased mortality, with persistent above average temperatures and droughts since 2010. The extended radius clearing with retention does appear to be the best overall treatment; however, the value seems questionable given that the desired effects may not be sustained through time. Spruce Beetle (SB)  Tom Eckberg provided an update on SB activity in ID: In 2018, it was the 3rd consecutive year that ADS mapped relatively large areas of SB-caused mortality. The activity is located on the Nez Perce-Clearwater NF, which contains substantially more Engelmann spruce than surrounding areas. Given ample host material, this outbreak is expected to grow as conditions remain favorable. Tom also described an issue with SB on private lands near McCall, ID where they were dropping trees to install a new system of zip-lines and leaving too large a volume of down spruce. Douglas-fir Beetle (DFB)  Beth Willhite provided an updated on using DFB lures to create wildlife snags: Previous attempts to use DFB semiochemicals to create snags in western OR had largely been unsuccessful, so additional trials were attempted in 2017-2018. In total, 69 trees were baited 2 years after wildfire and 1 year after CWD creation. One-half were completed in 2017 and the remainder in 2018. They consisted of clusters of 3-5 trees in close proximity and two lures per tree were implemented (Synergy DFB lure consists of DF

kairomone, frontalin, ethanol and seudenol). Results are currently being analyzed and an update will be presented in 2019. Fir Engraver  Mike Johnson described significant fir engraver mortality, and discussed abiotic and biotic causes, that is occurring in the Blue Mountains of eastern OR. In 2018, over 250,000 ac were mapped in ADS, with drought playing a large role in this event. Other Bark Beetles or Woodborers  Bill Schaupp gave an overview of a 2017 interagency/public meeting and field tour that was focused on Douglas-fir mortality and/or flatheaded fir borer (Phaenops drummondi) in southwest Oregon. Presentations from that gathering are available now and can be provided on request. Several other regions/states indicated they had observed similar mortality, to what Bill described, relative to FFB and other species of woodboring beetles being more associated with these mortality events than DFB.

 Mike Johnson provided an update on some recent Douglas-fir mortality on the Heppner RD, Umatilla NF: Individual and pockets of trees have been killed on over 300+ acres since 2016. Overly dense stand conditions and drought appeared to be the primary driver of tree mortality, but several woodboring insects were associated with dead/dying trees. Several trees were felled in this area to confirm the species present. DFB was not detected, but flatheaded fir borer, Douglas-fir engraver (Scolytus unispinosis), S. monticolae, and Douglas-fir pole beetle (Pseudohylesinus nebulosus) were commonly found attacking these trees. In terms of treatment recommendations, Mike indicated consideration should be given to 1) water supplying capacity of the site (soil attributes and moisture input), 2) species composition (ecophysiological characteristics), 3) competition (moisture demand, photosynthetic capacity and allocation to defense), 4) periodic/cyclic/infrequent droughty conditions (effect on moisture availability, transpirational stream, heat damage, ethanol production relative to stand density) and 5) predicted future stand conditions. Invasive Species  Andrea Hefty provided an update on Goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) in California: This invasive beetle has killed an estimated 87,000 trees from 2010-2017 on the Cleveland NF. The GSOB story map has also been updated and can be found below. A research needs assessment meeting was recently held with the intent of updating and ranking research needs across agencies and reviewing funding sources for technical development. There was broad interest in meeting annually. Oak management guidelines have been updated and a number of trainings have been conducted for state and federal employees at many agencies in CA. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=a64d474ed1ba4719a5a1c3d c0d9b4aec#

 Andrea also gave an update on invasive shot hole borers, Euwallacea spp. (ISHB): They have been separated genetically into E. whitfordiodendrus, polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and E. kuroshio, Kuroshio shot hole borer (KSHB). Their symbiotic fungal associates include Fusarium spp., Graphium spp., and Paracremonium pembeum. It appears there were independent invasions into the Los Angeles Basin (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Co.), with the first detections of ISHB in 2003 and KSHB first detected in San Diego County in 2012. The list of ISHB hosts has been

updated and while it does not cause tree mortality in every species, reproductive hosts include 64 spp. for PSHB and 15 spp. for KSHB. Impacts of ongoing tree mortality include erosion from forest streams, an increase in invasive plants and/or chaparral species, changes to water levels and temperatures, and increased fire risk due to dead/down wood. An ISHB risk assessment for the Cleveland NF identified 8 riparian areas <10 miles from known infestations, which represent approx. 6,000 ac of riparian forest at risk of ISHB invasion. In 2018, a citizen science trapping effort was focused on 20 sites along the lower San Diego River, in association with The San Diego Natural History Museum. Trapping results will be included in the risk assessment so that they will have a more complete view of the San Diego River watershed that extends from the Cleveland NF to the Pacific.

 Wyatt Williams provided an update on a STDP-funded invasive woodborer trapping project in Oregon: From 2016-2018, funnel traps using 8 varieties of lure/trap combinations were deployed at 12 mixed-conifer and hardwood sites along the Columbia River Gorge in OR and WA. Sampling occurred 8x from April-September. To date, 194 woodborer species have been detected (170 native, 24 non-native) with 4 new exotic species records now confirmed.

These include: 1) Chrysobothris rugosiceps (Buprestidae) - native to eastern North America and a first detection in the western U.S., 2) Trypodendron domesticum (Cur.: Scolytinae) - native to Eurasia and a new record for Oregon, 3) Cyclorhipidion pelliculosum (Cur.: Scolytinae) – native to Asia and a first record in the western U.S., and 4) Xyleborus monographus (Cur.: Scolytinae) – native to Europe and a first record in North America. Additional delimitation trapping will done in 2019 for X. monographus, which has been shown to vector Raffaelea montetyi. Identifications of 2018 trap captures, and data analyses relative to the performance by lure and trap type (some canopy traps were used), are ongoing and will be presented at this meeting in 2019.

 Bob Rabaglia also provided an update relative to changes in EDRR bark and ambrosia beetle trapping efforts, which will now include a cerambycid lure at some locations. Efforts are also underway to refine pine-infesting lures as well as evaluate lures for ISHB and redbay ambrosia beetle.

 Wyatt also highlighted ongoing efforts in Oregon to detect invasive species: The Oregon Forest Pest Detectors Program is focused on training professionals who work with trees to be able to better identify key invasive forest pests and their damage. Online modules and in-person classroom/field trainings have been offered around the state and to date over 400 people have completed the training. Pocket guides and fact sheets have also been produced for key invasive insects in cooperation with OSU Extension. http://pestdetector.forestry.oregonstate.edu/

The State’s official reporting mechanism is the Oregon Invasive Species Online Hotline. Any taxa can be reported on the website, which is mobile friendly and uses the GPS/camera of mobile devices to log the report. Reports are sent to a variety of hotline “managers” from across the state that are experts at their respective agencies. The managers investigate all reports and publish the outcomes to the site. All reports relative to high-profile invasive woodboring species have been negative to date. https://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/

Oregon has also recently completed an Emerald Ash Borer Readiness and Preparedness Plan. It defines the roles of stakeholders, provides a risk assessment, details detection efforts and describes a communication and quarantine plan. It also outlines the funding mechanisms for these and provides appendices with sample press releases, fact sheets and other information. https://www.oregoninvasivespeciescouncil.org/eab-1

Research Updates: Note: The following research updates were too comprehensive to capture in their entirety in the meeting notes, but attempts were made to provide a summary. Please contact the individuals listed below for more information.

Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Lab, R1 (Missoula, MT) Sharon Hood relayed that they are continuing work on a National post-fire tree mortality project to validate models and incorporate climate variables. Sharon requested additional data on tree mortality from fire for ongoing research efforts through October 2018. Other continuing research efforts include: 1) working with R1 to develop a tree-level regional salvage guideline similar to the one for R5, 2) working with R2 to examine Douglas-fir mortality after thinning due to fire and root disease interactions, and 3) continuing work on a FHM EM project in R5 examining fuel loading in beetle- and drought-impacted forests and comparing growth patterns between living and dead trees.

Rocky Mountain Research Station, R3 (Flagstaff, AZ) Ann Lynch provided presentations on research related to sawfly and bark beetles as part of the WNADWG meeting (see above). Ann’s other research priorities in 2019 include:  Dendroentomology: 1) Validation and testing of bugr (OUTBREAK in R, Guiterman is co-lead), 2) Western spruce budworm (Swetnam and Wickman’s Blue Mountains pub.) and west-wide analyses (with Axelson, Swetnam, Guiterman, others), 3) Outbreak initiation variability, 4) Bull Basin sawfly, 5) Kazakhstan Ips hauseri, and 6) Kazakhstan apple defoliators.

 Pinaleño high-elevation forest disturbance ecology (Pinaleño Demography Project): 1) Spruce-fir recruitment after 1685 high-severity fire and 2) White fir proliferation in the absence of fire.

 Spruce aphid: 1) Population response to montane temperatures and 2) Impacts to regeneration (with Grady). Publications: Lynch, A.M. 2018. Socioecological Impacts of Multiple Forest Insect Outbreaks in the Pinaleño Spruce–Fir Forest, Arizona. Journal of Forestry, Vol. 117(2): 164-170. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvy039

Rocky Mountain Research Station, R4 (Logan, UT) Matt Hansen provided an update on research focused on optimizing MCH for area and individual spruce tree protection in the southern Rocky Mountains:

In CO, they established 8 trapping bioassay replicates of 5 treatments each at two locations, one with building and one with epidemic beetle populations. Within each replicate, traps were installed in a pentagonal pattern with treatments rotated during each weekly collecting interval. These replicates focused on the repellency of AKB (Acer kairomone blend) components. In UT, they also installed 8 replicates but these included combinations of each AKB component as an MCH synergist. Collections have been completed and samples are being processed. The individual tree protection study included bait only and bait plus MCH/AKB as the treatments. Ten replicates were installed and measured in UT with 5 replicates at each of the two CO locations. Measurements included checking for SB attacks on spruce within 10 m of the baited tree. Preliminary analyses are complete. They also installed and measured 3 replicates of control (2 baited funnel traps within the block) and repellent treatments (2 baited funnel traps plus a grid of MCH/AKB) in UT and a single replicate in CO. Treatment blocks were ~1.2 ha and the measure blocks were 80 m2. Preliminary analyses are also complete. Preliminary results indicate: 1) MCH+AKB significantly reduced attacks compared to controls (baited and unbaited), 2) they were unable to detect any differences among the 2018 treatments (MCH+AKB, MCH+AKB+sulcatone, and MCH-AKB x2), and 3) all repellent treatments had minimal efficacy in Alaska. Since these studies began in 2016, controls (baited and unbaited combined) were ~40x more likely to be in a higher severity attack class compared to MCH+AKB treatments.

Pacific Southwest Research Station, R5 (Davis, CA)  Steve Seybold provided an update on a trapping survey for the Mediterranean pine engraver (Orthotomicus erosus) in areas with significant urban/community plantings of Mediterranean pines. Current trapping efforts extend to sites in southern CA, NV, AZ, NM and TX. Preliminary results in 2018 indicated the presence of Med. pine engraver at multiple trapping sites in CA, NV and AZ.

 Chris Fettig and Leif Mortensen provided the following overview of recent research activities:

 Examining tree mortality in the central and southern Sierra Nevada, CA: Please see the publication listed below for initial results. Annual assessments included new mortality (with causal agents), snag fall, and impact of mortality on the forest pollinator community. Pending additional funding, they hope to re-measure all attributes initially assessed (invasive plants, understory vegetation fuels, regeneration, structure and composition, etc.). Preliminary findings indicate snags are falling at faster rates than expected and considerably faster than during last decade’s MPB epidemic in the Rocky Mountains. In 2019, they also expect to publish collaborative work with UC Davis graduate student Mike Koontz on using drones to assess the influence of larger scale (spatial) forest structure on WPB-attacked forests.

 Impacts of MPB outbreaks on lodgepole pine forests in the Intermountain West: All variables assessed were re-measured in the summer of 2018 in all five states (CO, ID, MT, UT and WY). Steve Munson and Ken Gibson (USDA-FS ret.) continued to assist in these efforts. New mortality and snag fall will be assessed again in 2019. Spruce beetle attacks occurred in UT, but they were fortunate that no research plots burned this year.

 Efficacy of a novel formulation of the anti-aggregate MCH for individual tree protection from DFB in high risk stands: Research efforts are ongoing and results will be provided in future updates.

 Formulations of emamectin benzoate and propiconazole for protection of Engelmann spruce from SB and its associated fungi: Research efforts are ongoing and results will be provided in future updates.

 Evaluation of SPLAT verb and verbenone pouches for protecting whitebark pine from MPB: Research efforts are ongoing and results will be provided in future updates.

 Evaluation of verbenone plus for protecting ponderosa pine from WPB: Research efforts are ongoing and results will be provided in future updates. Publications: Fettig, C.J. 2018. Socioecological impacts of the western pine beetle outbreak in southern California: Lessons for the future. Journal of Forestry, 117(2): 138-143. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvy029 Fettig, C.J., D.C. Blackford, D.M. Grosman, and A.S. Munson. 2017. Injections of emamectin benzoate protect Engelmann spruce from mortality attributed to spruce beetle for two years. Journal of Entomological Science 52:193–196. Fettig, C.J., and H.E. Delb. 2017. Invasive forstliche schad-organismen in Nordamerika. Allgemeine Forstzeitschrift AFZ-DerWald 9:19–21. Fettig, C.J., R.A. Progar, J. Paschke, and F.J. Sapio. 2018. Forest insects. In: Robertson, G., and T. Barrett, eds. Implications of forest disturbance processes for sustainability in the western US. Gen. Tech Rep. PNW-GTR-XX. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. (in press) Fettig, C.J., L.L. Lowrey, D.C. Blackford, J.D. McMillin, A.S. Munson, and L.A. Mortenson. 2018. Efficacy of spring and fall treatments of carbaryl for protecting ponderosa pine from mortality attributed to mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 111(6): 2979-2982. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy259 Fettig, C.J., L.A. Mortenson, B.M. Bulaon, and P.B. Foulk. 2019. Tree mortality following drought in the central and southern Sierra Nevada, California, U.S. Forest Ecology and Management 432:164–178. Fettig, C.J., A. Wuenschel, J. Balachowski, R.J. Butz, A.L. Jacobsen, M.P. North, S.M. Ostoja, R.B. Pratt, and R.B. Standiford. 2018. Drought management recommendations for California. In: Vose, J., T. Patel-Weynand, D.L. Peterson, and C.H. Luce, eds. Drought impacts on U.S. forests and rangelands: Translating science into management responses. WO-GTR-XX. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington Office (in press) Morris, J.L., S. Cottrell, C.J. Fettig, W.D. Hansen, R.L. Sherriff, V.A. Carter, J. Clear, J. Clement, R.J. DeRose, J.A. Hicke, P.E. Higuera, K.M. Mattor, A.W.R. Seddon, H. Seppӓ, J.D. Stednick, and S.J. Seybold. 2017. Managing bark beetle impacts on ecosystems and society: priority questions to motivate future research. Journal of Applied Ecology 54:750–760. Morris, J.L., S. Cottrell, C.J. Fettig, W.D. Hansen, R.L. Sherriff, V.A. Carter, J. Clear, J. Clement, R.J. DeRose, J.A. Hicke, P.E. Higuera, K.M. Mattor, A.W.R. Seddon, H. Seppӓ, J.D. Stednick, and S.J. Seybold. 2018. Bark beetles as agents of change in social-ecological systems. Frontiers of Ecology and the Environment 16(S1):S34–S43.

Stephens, S.L., B.M. Collins, C.J. Fettig, M.A. Finney, C.E. Hoffman, E.E. Knapp, M.E. North, and H. Safford. 2018. Drought, tree mortality, and wildfire in forests adapted to frequent fire. Bioscience 68:77–88. Seybold, S.J., B.J. Bentz, C.J. Fettig, J.E. Lundquist, R.A. Progar, and N.E. Gillette. 2018. Management of western North American bark beetles with semiochemicals. Annual Review of Entomology 63:407–432. Vose, J.M., D.L. Peterson, G.M. Domke, C.J. Fettig, L.A. Joyce, R.E. Keane, C.H. Luce, and J.P. Prestemon. 2018. Forests. In: Climate change impacts in the United States: the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program (in press)

Pacific Northwest Research Station, R6  Rob Progar provided an update on his new position at the Washington Office as the lead for USDA-FS Forest Entomology and Plant Pathology research. Many of Rob’s current collaborative research efforts are described above in the updates listed above.

 Rob also reported that APHIS is proposing to remove the domestic quarantine regulations EAB. The proposal would end actions such as issuing permits, certificates and compliance agreements, making site visits, and conducting investigations of suspected violations, and instead direct all available resources toward managing the pest. APHIS indicates in these documents that they remain committed to controlling this invasive pest and plan to conduct further research into biological control agents that have shown promise for slowing-the-spread. More information and comments can be submitted here: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2017-0056

Next Meeting The 2019 BBTWG meeting will be hosted by CALFIRE, the California Forest Pest Council and USDA-FS Forest Health Protection, R5. It will be held in San Diego, CA from October 22- 24th concurrent with the annual WNADWG. A field trip will be scheduled to look at invasive insect pests in the San Diego area.

Notes were compiled by: Robbie W. Flowers, USDA-FS Forest Health Protection, R6 with special thanks to the recently retired Bill Schaupp for use of his personal notes. We will miss you Bill!

WNADWG and BBTWG Meeting Attendees, 2018

Name Agency Email Comments

Blackford, Darren USFS, R4-FHP [email protected]

Buhl, Christine OR Dept. Forestry [email protected] Moderator Stephen Clarke USFS, R8-FHP [email protected]

Cluck, Danny USFS, R5-FHP [email protected] Davis, Gina USFS, R1-FHP [email protected] Teleconference

Dickinson, Darci USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Moderator

Eckberg, Tom ID Dept. Lands [email protected] Eidson, Erica ID Dept. Lands [email protected] Fischer, Melissa WA Dept. Nat. Res. [email protected]

Flowers, Robbie USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Meeting Notes Gannon, Amy MT Dept. Nat. Res. [email protected] Grady, Amanda USFS, R3-FHP [email protected] Graves, Andrew USFS, R3-FHP [email protected] Teleconference Hanavan, Ryan USFS, NA-FHP [email protected] Teleconference

Hansen, Matt USFS, R2-RMRS [email protected] Teleconference Hefty, Andrea USFS, R5-FHP [email protected]

Hood, Sharon USFS-RMRS [email protected] Teleconference Johnson, Mike USFS, R6-FHP [email protected]

Keyes, Colleen UT Dept. For. [email protected] Kramer, August MT Dept. Nat. Res. [email protected] LaBonte, Jim OR Dept. of Ag. [email protected] Lockner, Amy USFS, R2-FHP [email protected] Lowrey, Laura USFS, R4-FHP [email protected] Teleconference

Lynch, Ann USFS, R3-RMRS [email protected] Teleconference Mehmel, Connie USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Moan, Jason AK Dept. of Nat. Res. [email protected]

Nicholson, Steve Valent Biosciences [email protected] Pederson, Lee USFS, R1-FHP [email protected]

Phillips, Gene NV Div. Forestry [email protected] Polivka, Carlos USFS, R6-Res. [email protected]

Progar, Rob USFS, PNW Res. [email protected] Raabe, Margaret USDA, APHIS-PPQ [email protected]

Rabaglia, Bob USFS, WO-FHP [email protected]

Ragenovich, Iral USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Teleconference

Ripley, Karen USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Schaupp, Bill USFS, R6-FHP ret. Shaw, Dave OR State Univ. [email protected] Smith, Sheri USFS, R5-FHP [email protected] Snyder, Cynthia USFS, R5-FHP [email protected] Stokes, Rebecca USFS, R2-FHP [email protected]

Willhite, Beth USFS, R6-FHP [email protected] Williams, Wyatt OR Dept. Forestry [email protected]