Current Status of Forest Health Policy in the United States.

Gandhi Gandhi,Abrams Abrams,Campbell Campbell

doi:10.3390/insects10040106

Gandhi Gandhi, Abrams Abrams + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10040106

Copy DOI

Abstract

Federal policies related to forestry and forest health (specifically, insects and diseases) have the potential to affect management practices, terms of international and interstate trade, and long-term sustainability and conservation. Our objectives were to review existing federal policies, the role of federal agencies in managing forest health, and guidance for future policy efforts. Since the 1940s, various federal policies relevant to forest health have been established, and several US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies have been empowered to assist with prevention, quarantine, detection, management, and control of insects and diseases. Overall, our review showed that relatively few national policies directly address forest health as a stand-alone objective, as most of them are embedded within forestry bills. Federal funding for forest health issues and the number of personnel dedicated to such issues have declined dramatically for some agencies. Concomitantly, native species continue to gain pestiferous status while non-native species continue to establish and cause impacts in the US. To enhance our ability and capacity to deal with current and future threats, concerted efforts are needed to advocate for both resources and stand-alone policy tools that take seriously the complexity of emerging sustainability challenges in both private and public forestlands.

Highlights

Natural and planted forests encompass ~300 million hectares and ~32% of total land area in the US. [1]
Interactions between various natural and anthropogenic disturbances or “compounded” disturbances are currently determining landscape heterogeneity, and patterns and processes that are evident in the US forests [15,16]
The continued establishment and spread of non-native forest insects create additional impacts and damage to those created by native insects

Summary

Introduction

Natural and planted forests encompass ~300 million hectares and ~32% of total land area in the US. [1]. The western region contains the majority of the country’s public forestlands, managed for a mix of uses including timber production, recreation, and conservation, while the eastern US is dominated by private forests, some of which are heavily utilized for timber production [2] This leads to vastly different management goals, objectives, and approaches especially under variable political conditions. Interactions between various natural and anthropogenic disturbances or “compounded” disturbances (e.g., salvage logging after a windstorm or wildfires) are currently determining landscape heterogeneity, and patterns and processes that are evident in the US forests [15,16] Insects and diseases, both native and non-native, have great potential to alter and affect tree and forest health with cascading ecological impacts (Figure 1).

Background and Historical Context

Farm Bill

Findings

Conclusions