Montana United States Forest Insect and Disease Conditions Department of Agriculture and Program Forest Service Highlights Northern Region Forest Health 2007 Protection Report 08-1 Montana Department of Pine tussock moth in Natural Resources ponderosa pine and Conservation Forestry Division Lindgren funnel trap for Pine Engraver Beetles in thinned ponderosa pine MOONNTTAANNAA M FFoorreesstt IInnsseecctt aanndd DDiisseeaassee CCoonnddiittiioonnss aanndd PPrrooggrraamm HHiigghhlliigghhttss -- 22000077 Report 08-1 2008 Compiled By: Amy Gannon, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Forestry Division Scott Sontag, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection Contributors: Gregg DeNitto, Ken Gibson, Marcus Jackson, Blakey Lockman, Scott Sontag, Nancy Sturdevant, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection; Brennan Ferguson, Amy Gannon, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Forestry Division Data Summary: William O‘Donnell, USDA Forest Service, Region One, Engineering Map Production: Cartographics LLC Cover Photo: Pine tussock moth in ponderosa pine, courtesy of Scott Sontag, USDA Forest Service. Lindgren funnel trap for Pine Engraver Beetles in thinned ponderosa pine, courtesy of Amy Gannon, USDA Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Forestry Division i ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS.........................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1 SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS ......................................................................................2 Bark Beetles ...........................................................................................................2 Defoliators ..............................................................................................................3 Root Diseases ........................................................................................................3 Foliage Diseases....................................................................................................4 Dwarf Mistletoes ....................................................................................................4 White Pine Blister Rust .........................................................................................4 ANNUAL AERIAL SURVEY .........................................................................................5 BARK BEETLE CONDITIONS IN BRIEF .....................................................................7 Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) .................................................................................7 Douglas-fir Beetle (DFB) .......................................................................................7 Fir Engraver (FE)....................................................................................................8 Western Balsam Bark Beetle (WBBB)..................................................................8 Pine Engraver Beetle (IPS)....................................................................................9 Spruce Beetle (ESB) ..............................................................................................9 Western Pine Beetle (WPB)...................................................................................9 DEFOLIATOR CONDITIONS IN BRIEF .......................................................................9 Douglas-fir Tussock Moth.....................................................................................9 Gypsy Moth ............................................................................................................9 Larch Casebearer (LCB)......................................................................................10 Pine Tussock Moth ..............................................................................................10 Ponderosa Pine Needle Miner.............................................................................10 Western Spruce Budworm (WSBW) ...................................................................10 DISEASE CONDITIONS IN BRIEF.............................................................................12 Root Disease ........................................................................................................12 Stem Decay...........................................................................................................14 Foliage Disease....................................................................................................14 Dwarf Mistletoe ....................................................................................................14 INSECT AND DISEASE CONDITIONS BY REPORTING AREA...............................16 Beaverhead Reporting Area................................................................................16 Bitterroot Reporting Area....................................................................................19 Custer Reporting Area.........................................................................................22 Deerlodge Reporting Area...................................................................................24 Flathead Reporting Area .....................................................................................27 Gallatin Reporting Area.......................................................................................30 Helena Reporting Area ........................................................................................35 Kootenai Reporting Area.....................................................................................38 Lewis & Clark Reporting Area.............................................................................42 Lolo Reporting Area ............................................................................................45 Garnet Reporting Area ........................................................................................49 INDIAN RESERVATIONS...........................................................................................50 Blackfeet IR ..........................................................................................................50 Crow IR .................................................................................................................50 iii Flathead IR............................................................................................................51 Fort Belknap IR ....................................................................................................52 Northern Cheyenne IR .........................................................................................53 Rocky Boys IR......................................................................................................53 NATIONAL PARKS ....................................................................................................54 Glacier NP.............................................................................................................54 Yellowstone NP....................................................................................................55 STATE NURSERY......................................................................................................56 SPECIAL PROJECTS ................................................................................................57 1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Thinning Treatments on DFB-Caused Tree Mortality..................................................................................................57 2. Evaluating Efficacy of Verbenone and GLV on Rocky Boy‘s IR..........................57 3. Testing Efficacy of Verbenone and Green-leaf Volatilesin Reducing MPB-Caused Mortality in PP and WBP on Lewis & Clark NF .....................58 4. Bark Beetle Trapping on Wild Horse Island .......................................................59 5. Elytroderma Needle Disease Thinning and Pruning Project ......................59 6. Limber Pine Monitoring Plots........................................................................60 COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES ........................................................................61 PUBLICATIONS 2007 ................................................................................................62 DIRECTORY OF PERSONNEL..................................................................................66 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Beaverhead Reporting Area and Beaverhead National Forest Ranger Districts ........................................................................................16 Figure 2 Bitterroot Reporting Area and Bitterroot National Forest Ranger Districts ........................................................................................19 Figure 3 Custer Reporting Area and Custer National Forest Ranger Districts......................................................................................................22 Figure 4 Deerlodge Reporting Area and Deerlodge National Forest Ranger Districts ........................................................................................24 Figure 5 Flathead Reporting Area and Flathead National Forest Ranger Districts......................................................................................................27 Figure 6 Gallatin Reporting Area and Gallatin National Forest Ranger