July 2002 Invasive Insects, Pathogens and Plants in Western and Pacific Island Forests Prepared for: Western Forestry Leadership Coalition 2580 Youngfield Street Lakewood, CO 80215-7093 Prepared by: William M. Ciesla INTECS International Inc. Under Contract to: 2150 Centre Avenue Building A, Suite 331 Fort Collins, CO 80526-1891 Acknowledgments Many colleagues contributed information and technical review comments during the preparation of this paper. Review comments were provided by the following representatives from States: Michael Buck, Administrator, Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Honolulu, HI Kirk David, Idaho Department of Lands, Coeur d’ Alene, ID Ray Aslin, State Forester, Kansas Forest Service Sheri S. Mann, Territorial Forester & Forestry Extension Program Manager for American Samoa Jim Lawrence, Executive Director, Council of Western State Foresters, Lakewood, CO Information and review comments were provided by the following USDA Forest Service employees: Steve Ambrose, Assistant Regional Forester, Western State and Private Forestry, Lakewood, CO Rita Beard, Rangeland Ecologist, Forest and Rangeland Management, Fort Collins, CO Jerry Beatty, Deputy Director, Forest Health Protection, Washington, D.C. David Bridgwater, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, R-6, Portland, OR Robert Haack, Entomologist, North Central Research Station, East Lansing, MI Ed Holsten, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, R-10, Anchorage, AK Ellen Michaels Goheen, Plant Pathologist, FHP, R-6, Medford, OR Allison Hill, Vegetation Management and Protection Research, Washington, D.C. Andy Mason, Director, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, Fort Collins, CO John Neisess, Forest Health Protection, R-5, Valejo, CA (retired) Duane A. Nelson, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Hilo, HI Douglas Parker, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, R-3, Albuquerque, NM Iral Ragenovich, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, R-6, Portland, OR Lia H. Spiegel, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, R-6, LaGrande, OR Duane Van Hoosier, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT (retired) i ii Table of Contents Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... i List of Illustrations..........................................................................................................vii List of Tables...................................................................................................................viii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations.............................................................................. ix Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... xi Staggering Impacts of Invasive Species......................................................................... xi Complex National, Federal, and State Responsibilities................................................xii Opportunities for WFLC to Address Invasive Species Issues ......................................xii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Part I An Overview of Invasive Species.................................................... 5 Impacts of Invasive Species .............................................................................................. 7 Economic Impacts........................................................................................................... 7 Ecological Impacts .......................................................................................................... 7 Loss of Biodiversity .................................................................................................... 7 Altered Species Composition...................................................................................... 8 Changes in Fire Regimes............................................................................................. 8 Societal Impacts .............................................................................................................. 8 Some Case Histories ....................................................................................................... 9 Gypsy Moth................................................................................................................. 9 White Pine Blister Rust............................................................................................. 10 Cheatgrass ................................................................................................................. 11 Miconia...................................................................................................................... 12 Dealing With Invasive Species ....................................................................................... 13 Healthy Ecosystems – The Objective ........................................................................... 13 Integrated Pest Management – The Tools..................................................................... 14 The Decision Process ................................................................................................ 14 The Action Process.................................................................................................... 15 Integration of New Technologies.............................................................................. 17 National, Federal, and State Responsibilities ............................................................... 18 Federal Government...................................................................................................... 18 Authorities, Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................... 18 Coordinating Mechanisms......................................................................................... 21 State, County and Local Governments.......................................................................... 22 Potential Role for WFLC in Mitigating Impacts of Invasive Species......................... 23 Increase Awareness of Invasive Species and Their Impacts......................................... 23 Promote Partnerships .................................................................................................... 24 Facilitate Identification of Gaps in Authorities and Responsibilities ........................... 25 Support Integrated Pest Management as the Guiding Framework for All WFLC Member Organizations.......................................................................................... 25 iii Support Cross-Cut Budgets For Invasive Species ........................................................ 25 Support and Utilize New Research and Technology/Methods as Part of a Sound IPM Program Directed Against Invasive Species. ........................................................ 27 Promote the Use of National Data and Mapping Standards to Facilitate Information Sharing Between WFLC Members and Other Organizations............................... 28 Part II Technical Information on Key Invasive Species in the Western United States and Pacific Islands.................................... 29 Insects Established in the Western U.S. and Pacific Islands....................................... 31 Balsam Woolly Adelgid................................................................................................ 32 Eucalyptus Borers ......................................................................................................... 35 Green Spruce Aphid...................................................................................................... 36 Larch Casebearer........................................................................................................... 37 Larch Sawfly ................................................................................................................. 39 European Elm Scale ...................................................................................................... 40 Elm Leaf Beetle............................................................................................................. 41 Oystershell Scale........................................................................................................... 42 Leucaena Psyllid ........................................................................................................... 43 Pathogens Established in the Western U.S. .................................................................. 45 White Pine Blister Rust................................................................................................. 46 Sudden Oak Death......................................................................................................... 48 Pitch Canker.................................................................................................................. 50 Port-Orford Cedar (POC) Root Disease........................................................................ 52 Dutch Elm Disease (DED)............................................................................................ 54 Invasive Plants Established in the Western U.S........................................................... 56 Cheatgrass ..................................................................................................................... 57 Dalmation Toadflax .....................................................................................................