FOREST INSECT and DISEASE CONDITIONS in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION 2000-2001 Looking south from Interstate 70, Vail, CO. Mountain pine beetle has been active here in mature lodgepole pine for several years, causing significant impacts in this wildland-urban interface. United States Renewable Rocky Department of Resources Mountain Agriculture Forest Health Region 2 FOREST INSECT AND DISEASE CONDITIONS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION 2000-2001 USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region Renewable Resources, Forest Health Management P.O. Box 25127 Lakewood, Colorado 80225-5127 Visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/fhm by The Forest Health Management Staff Compiled by Jeri Lyn Harris, Roy Mask, and Jeff Witcosky June 2002 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.” 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Forest Health Management (FHM) Staff extends its appreciation to all cooperators who contributed to this report during 2000 - 2001. COLORADO Jim Hubbard, State Forester Dave Leatherman, Entomologist Colorado State Forest Service Mike Schomaker, Plant Pathologist Forestry Building Colorado State Forest Service Colorado State Univ. 214 Forestry Bldg.- CSU Fort Collins, CO 80523 Fort Collins, CO 80523 Phone: 970/491-6303 Phone: 970/491-6303 Fax: 970/491-7736 Fax: 970/491-7736 KANSAS Raymond G. Aslin, State Forester Bill Loucks, Conservation Forester Kansas Forest Service Kansas Forest Service 2610 Claflin Road 2610 Claflin Road Manhattan, KS 66502 Manhattan, KS 66502 Phone: 785/532-3300 Phone: 785/532-3300 Fax: 785/532-3305 Fax: 785/532-3305 NEBRASKA Dr. Gary L. Hergenrader, State Mark Harrell, Entomologist Forester Laurie Stepanek, Assistant Nebraska Forest Service 103 Plant Industry – Univ. of NE 103 Plant Industry – Univ. of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68583 Lincoln, NE 68583 Phone : 402/472-6635 or -5503 Phone : 402/472-1467 Fax : 402/472-2964 Fax : 402/472-2964 SOUTH DAKOTA Ray Sowers, State Forester Henry Burkwhat, Forest Health Division of Resource Conservation and Specialist (2000-2001) Forestry – SD Dept. of Agriculture Foss Building, 523 E. Capitol Avenue 3305 ½ W. South Street Pierre, South Dakota 57501-3182 Rapid City, SD 57702 Phone: 605/773-3623 Phone: 605/394-2395 Fax: 605/773-4003 Fax: 605/394-2549 WYOMING Tom Ostermann, State Forester Les Koch, Forest Health Specialist Wyoming State Forestry Division Wyoming State Forestry Division 1100 West 22nd Street 1100 West 22nd Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 Phone: 307/777-7586 Phone: 307/777-7586 Fax: 307/637-8726 Fax: 307/637-8726 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 Rocky Mountain Region-Forest Health Management Staff and Service Center Zones 5-6 2000-2001 Insect, Disease, and Abiotic Damage Status Report 7-22 Non-native, Invasive Insects and Pathogens - Rocky Mountain Region 23 Other Insects and Diseases of Concern 24-29 Aerial Detection Survey 30-32 Forest Health Management Special Projects 33-39 Recent Publications 40-42 Data, Aerial Survey, and Map Disclaimers These insect and disease data are available digitally from the USDA Forest Service, Region Two Forest Health Management group. The cooperators reserve the right to correct, update, modify or replace GIS products. Using this data for purposes other than those for which it was intended may yield inaccurate or misleading results. Only rough estimates of location, intensity and the resulting trend information for any given damaging agent are provided with aerial survey data. The data presented should only be used as indicators of insect and disease activity, and validated on the ground for actual location and casual agent. Many of the most destructive diseases are not represented in these data because these agents are not detectable from aerial surveys. Maps in this product are reproduced from geospatial information prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS data and product accuracy may vary. They may be: developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, incomplete while being created or revised, etc. Using GIS products for purposes other than those for which they were created, may yield inaccurate or misleading results. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace, GIS products without notification. For more information, contact office: Rocky Mountain Region, Regional Office 303-275-5367. 5 Rocky Mountain Region (R2), Forest Health Management of 2000-2001 Forest Health Management (FHM) is responsible for the detection, evaluation, and suppression of insects and diseases on forested Federal lands. FHM also administers financial and technical assistance programs with the State Foresters of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming for insect and disease detection, evaluation, and suppression. In addition, the management of range pests and gypsy moth are a shared responsibilities with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Close coordination and cooperation of the Federal and State agencies responsible for forest health management are necessary for effective program execution. Three Service Centers and the Regional Office address forest health concerns for the Rocky Mountain Region. Questions concerning operations and requests for service can be directed to the Forest Health Management (FHM) Group Leader in the Regional Office or the respective Service Center Leaders. SERVICE CENTERS SERVICE AREAS STAFF and OFFICES Gunnison Service Assistance to National Roy Mask – Service Center Leader, Center (GSC) Forests and cooperators in Entomologist 216 North Colorado, southwestern and south- Tom Eager - Entomologist Gunnison, CO 81230 central Colorado: Rio Jim Worrall– Plant Pathologist Ph: 970/641-0471 Grande, San Juan, Grand Kelly Sullivan – Technician; moved to LSC in 2002 as Fax: 970/641-1928 Mesa, Uncompahgre, a plant pathologist Gunnison, White River, and Matt Cahir – Technician (2001) San Isabel. Lakewood Service Assistance to Kansas, Dave Johnson Service Center Leader, Plant Center (LSC) eastern and northwestern Pathologist (retired 2001) P.O. Box 25127 Colorado, and southern Jeff Witcosky Service Center Leader, Lakewood, CO 80225 Wyoming; National Forests: Entomologist (2001) Ph: 303/236/9541 Pike, Arapaho-Roosevelt, Bill Schaupp – Entomologist; moved to RCSC in Fax: 303/236-9542 Medicine Bow-Routt, and 2002 as an entomologist White River (Dillon Ranger Jeri Lyn Harris – Plant Pathologist (2000 - 2001); District), Comanche and converted to R2 Forest Health Monitoring Coordinator in 2001 Cimmarron National Lee Pederson – Technician (2000-2001), moved to Region 4, FHP, Ogden Field Office Grasslands Bernard Benton - Computer Specialist Christine Pontarolo – Technician (2001) Rapid City Service Assistance to National Kurt Allen – Service Center Leader, Center (RCSC) Forests, and cooperators Entomologist 1730 Samco Road, east of the Continental Joel McMillin – Entomologist (2000-2001); moved to Rapid City, SD 57702 Divide in northern Region 3, FHP, Arizona Field Office Ph: 605/343-1960 Wyoming, South Dakota Dan Long –Technician Fax: 605/394-6627 and Nebraska: Black Hills, Bighorn, Shoshone, and Nebraska, and National Grasslands in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska Regional Office – Assistance to the three Frank Cross – Group Leader Forest Health service centers; liaison to Michelle Frank - Forest Health Monitoring Management (FHM) Washington D.C. offices Coordinator (2000-2001) Moved to R9, FHP, Pesticide 740 Simms Street, and state forestry agencies. Coordinator Golden, CO 80401 Erik Johnson – Aerial Survey Specialist Ph: 303/275-5061 Tom McClure – Noxious weeds, Invasive Fax: 303/275-5075 species (2001) Regional Office – Oversight of Forest Health Marisue Hilliard– Director Renewable Resources Management for R2 6 Figure 1. 7 Rocky Mountain Region Insect, Disease, and Abiotic Damage Status Report of 2000-2001 In 2000 – 2001, there were dramatic increases and continued tree mortality caused by bark beetles (Table 1, Figures 2 and 3). The most widespread forest damages were subalpine fir decline caused by western balsam bark beetle and root disease. Mountain pine beetle killed over 840,000 ponderosa, lodgepole, limber, whitebark, and bristlecone pines in CO, SD, and WY. Spruce beetle populations increased and killed over 250,000 Engelmann spruce in Wyoming and Colorado. These bark beetle epidemics continue to be a major forest health management concern. Table 1. Summary Table of state totals for bark beetle-caused tree mortality detected in the 2001 aerial survey in Region 2. State Sub-alpine Fir Decline Mountain Pine Spruce Douglas- Fir (W. Balsam Bark Beetle) Beetle Beetle Beetle (# of trees killed) (# of trees) (# of trees) (# of trees) Colorado 712,400 457,892 16,460 6,400 South Dakota - 273,310 - - Wyoming 249,700 111,025 234,948 16,085 TOTALS