United States Department of Agriculture Forest Health Conditions in Alaska - 2016 A Forest Health Protection Report Forest Service State of Alaska R10-PR-39 February 2017 Alaska Region Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry U.S. Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, Alaska Region Debbie Hollen, Director for State & Private Forestry 1220 SW Third Avenue, Portland, OR 97204, [email protected] Michael Shephard, Deputy Director for State & Private Forestry 161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8, Anchorage, AK 99501, [email protected] Alaska Forest Health Specialists U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/ Anchorage, Southcentral Field Office 161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8, Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 743-9453 Fax: (907) 743-9479 Garret Dubois, Biological Science Technician, [email protected]; John Lundquist, Entomologist (FHP and PNW Research Station), [email protected]; Steve Swenson, Biological Science Technician, [email protected] Fairbanks, Interior Field Office 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: (907) 451-2701, (907) 451-2799; Fax: (907) 451-2690 Stephen Burr, Entomologist, [email protected]; Lori Winton, Plant Pathologist, [email protected]; Tricia Wurtz, Ecologist, [email protected] Juneau, Southeast Field Office 11175 Auke Lake Way, Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: (907) 586-8835; Fax: (907) 586-7848 Elizabeth Graham, Entomologist, [email protected]; Tom Heutte, Aerial Survey Coordinator, [email protected]; Robin Mulvey, Plant Pathologist, rlmulvey@ fs.fed.us State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry 550 W 7th Avenue, Suite 1450, Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 269-8460; Fax: (907) 269-8931 Jason Moan, Forest Health Program Coordinator, [email protected] University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service 1840 Bragaw, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: (907) 786-6300; Fax: (907) 786-6312 Gino Graziano, Invasive Plants Instructor, [email protected]; Jessie Moan, Statewide Integrated Pest Management Technician, [email protected] Cover photo: Aspen killed by aspen running canker along the Taylor Highway. ii Forest Health Conditions in Alaska - 2016 FHP Protection Report R10-PR-39 Edited by: Garret Dubois and Tricia Wurtz Contributors: Stephen Burr, Garret Dubois, Elizabeth Graham, Tom Heutte, John Lundquist, Jason Moan, Jessie Moan, Robin Mulvey, Roger Ruess, Michael Shephard, Heather Stewart, Steve Swenson, Lori Winton, Tricia Wurtz. Layout: Carol Teitzel CITATION: FS-R10-FHP. 2016. Forest Health Conditions in Alaska 2016. Anchorage, Alaska. U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region. Publication R10-PR-39. 74 Pages iii iv CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................1 Highlights ......................................................................................................................................................................3 Collaborative Partnerships Reveal Widespread Canker of Aspen in Alaska’s Boreal Forest .............................13 An Integrated Strategy for the Management of Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)...........................................15 A New Twist on Aerial Survey Design ..................................................................................................................16 STATUS OF DISEASES ............................................................................................................................................19 2016 Pathology Species Updates .......................................................................................................................20 Foliar Diseases .............................................................................................................................................20 Dothistroma Needle Blight .....................................................................................................................20 Spruce Needle Casts/Blights ...................................................................................................................20 Spruce Needle Rust .................................................................................................................................20 Shoot and Bud Blights ................................................................................................................................20 Gemmamyces Bud Blight .......................................................................................................................20 Sirococcus Shoot Blight ..........................................................................................................................22 Yellow-cedar Shoot Blight ......................................................................................................................22 Stem Diseases ...............................................................................................................................................22 Alder Canker ...........................................................................................................................................22 Aspen Cankers ........................................................................................................................................23 Diplodia Gall ...........................................................................................................................................24 Hemlock Canker ......................................................................................................................................24 Hemlock Dwarf Mistletoe .......................................................................................................................26 Huckleberry Broom Rust ........................................................................................................................26 Spruce Broom Rust .................................................................................................................................26 Stem Decays of Conifers .........................................................................................................................27 Stem Decays of Hardwoods ....................................................................................................................29 Western Gall Rust ....................................................................................................................................29 Root and Butt Diseases ...............................................................................................................................30 Armillaria Root Disease ..........................................................................................................................30 Pholiota Butt Rot .....................................................................................................................................30 Tomentosus Root Disease .......................................................................................................................30 Invasive Pathogens ......................................................................................................................................30 STATUS OF NONINFECTIOUS DISEASES AND DISORDERS .......................................................................33 2016 Noninfectious Diseases & Disorders Updates .........................................................................................34 Abiotic Damage ............................................................................................................................................34 Windthrow ...............................................................................................................................................34 Flooding ..................................................................................................................................................34 Animal Damage ...........................................................................................................................................34 Porcupine Feeding ...................................................................................................................................34 Forest Declines .............................................................................................................................................35 Yellow-cedar Decline ..............................................................................................................................35 STATUS OF INVASIVE PLANTS ...........................................................................................................................39 2016 Invasive Plant Program Updates .............................................................................................................40 Elodea update ..............................................................................................................................................40 Treatments on the Kenai and in Anchorage appear to have been successful ..........................................40 Rapid spread in Alexander Lake .............................................................................................................40 Copper River Delta research and treatment trials ...................................................................................40 Permit approved to treat Fairbanks-area