Providing Leadership

Forest Pests: From Detection to Research and Mitigation

Center webinar explores the world of forest pests – what they are, how we are responding, and what everyday tree lovers can do about it.

In our Oct. 2 webinar on Forest Pests: What They Are & What We Can Do About Them – part of our Building the New Forest Future series – Center Program Director Julie Renaud Evans joined four entomologists from across the region in a panel discussion.

The webinar began with presentations from each of our panelists to introduce us to state and federal agencies and their work in early detection, research, and monitoring. Each panelist provided a historical look back as well as a discussion on current and future strategies for protecting trees and minimizing damage as well as efforts to control infestations and spreading.

We recorded the conversation for you to revisit or share with others.

Download the slide deck

Kyle Lombard, Administrator at New Hampshire Forests and Lands – Forest Health Bureau, provided a historical overview of New Hampshire’s forest health program, beginning in the early 1900s to combat white pine blister rust. He then pivoted to discussing the state’s present-day focus on managing emerald ash borer through pesticide injections and biological controls.
Allison Kanoti, Director of Forest Health and Monitoring at the Maine Forest Service, discussed how spruce budworm and browntail moth are affecting Maine’s forests and forest economy. She then gave an overview of various tools such as the use of traps, forest management, foliage protection, and insecticides for managing these pests.
Michael Bohne, Forest Health Group Leader at the U.S. Forest Service, gave an overview of the USFS’s early detection and rapid response work particularly in response to beech leaf disease and hemlock woolly adelgid.
Kathryn Aroian, State Plant Health Director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provided an overview of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program to protect against the entry, establishment, and spread of pests through border controls.

We hope you enjoy the recording. Please share it with others, explore previous webinars, and save the date for our next.

Actions that everyday tree lovers can take to protect our forests include:

Don’t move firewood or soil.

Buy in-season and locally grown products and plants.

Report sightings of invasives and submit those through your state’s monitoring platform.

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Julie Renaud Evans

Program Director

Cell: 603-724-8322

Kendall Gray

Program Manager

Cell: 443-841-5201