Forest Health Program
 The
Forest Health Program of the Durham Field Office (DFO) protects
the trees and forests of New England and New York from native and
introduced insects, diseases, and other causes of damage. A particular
strength of our Forest Health Protection Program includes a core
team of skilled entomologists who work with the state forestry and
agricultural departments. Their expertise also serves Federal forest
land managers in the Northeast, including the White Mountain National
Forest, Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest, Department
of Defense, Department of Interior, and Tribal governments.
Our Forest health experts:
- Monitor, evaluate, and report on the health of urban and rural
forests
- Provide information and technical assistance for managing forest
health problems
- Provide training to State and Federal partners
- Develop and apply new forest health technology
Several forest health problems currently plague New England and
New York. One is the Asian longhorned beetle, an unwanted import
from China that has infested several areas around New York City.
It has also been found in the Chicago area. The beetle is a major
threat to maples and other species and has no known enemy in the
United States. DFO has done significant work with State and local
officials in the New York City area on control of the Asian Longhorn.
The threat remains, however, that this pest could create significant
biological and economic impacts should it invade the rural forests
of the northeast.
As with the maple, eastern hemlock serves important ecological,
economic and aesthetic roles. Its threat is the hemlock woolly
adelgid (HWA), a tiny insect from Japan that entered the country
on ornamental plants. This adelgid slowly kills hemlocks and is
widespread in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The
northern New England states banned the import of hemlock logs and
ornamental plants from infested states to try to keep the insect
out, but there have been recent, limited sightings of the adelgid
in Maine and New Hampshire. In cooperation with state partners,
we've identified a predator for HWA in the ladybird beetle Pseudoscymnus
tsugae. The PT beetle has been raised in sufficient quantities
for release in a number of areas of the northeast where its effectiveness
in natural settings is being evaluated.
For more information please contact the
forest health specialist within your state or
the DFO Forest Health group leader:
Bernie Raimo, (603) 868-7708 or braimo@fs.fed.us
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