Study Calls for New Approach to Combat Invasive Species

Nature Conservancy Scientists Evaluate the Economic and Ecological Threat of Expanding Plant Imports; Call for Regulatory Changes

ARLINGTON, VA ? February 21, 2007? A Nature Conservancy study to be released today examines the disastrous toll that non-native insects and plant diseases are taking on U.S. forests, and calls for a significant change of approach in the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s efforts to prevent new invasions. The study, titled ?An Ounce of Prevention: How to Stop Invasive Insects and Diseases from Devastating U.S. Forests,? was written by Conservancy experts Frank Lowenstein and Faith Campbell.

Port-Orford Cedar killed by POC root disease. © Oregon Department of Forestry

From dying oak trees in California to Fraser firs in North Carolina, infestations across the United States not only damage forests but also threaten to cost private landowners, state governments, municipalities, and a range of timber- and horticulture-related businesses billions of dollars.

Just one invasive insect, the emerald ash borer pest, threatens to kill up to 90 million ash trees in the U.S. This could lead to a potential loss of $25 billion to the timber industry, while costs to cities and towns for ash tree removal are estimated at $60 billion. Many other forest pests enter the United States as unintended hitchhikers on the 2.5 billion live plants imported into the country each year, largely for resale by nurseries and large retailers.

The Nature Conservancy?s report evaluates the current effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the agency responsible for overseeing the import of plants into the United States. The study suggests that APHIS?s regulations governing plant imports are outdated and do not afford adequate protection against invasive species. Instead, the Conservancy calls for regulatory modifications to enable APHIS to prevent risky imports before damage occurs. The report also calls for an increase in funding to aid the organization in combating invasive species.

?The USDA?s regulations need to prevent the unreasonable burdens falling on our cities, towns, and private landowners by doing more to prevent pests and pathogens from entering the country,? says Frank Lowenstein, director of the Conservancy?s Forest Health Program. ?At a time when the threat of invasive species is at an all-time high, we need a more effective and efficient program addressing this significant risk to our economy and environment."

The Nature Conservancy report suggests that APHIS should presume most plant imports are dangerous, and keep imported plants in a fairly restrictive ?holding category? until they are cleared through the risk assessment process.

More about invasive species and forest health:
The Nature Conservancy provides technical, scientific and policy leadership on critical threats to forest health, with a focus on invasive insects and diseases. With more than two decades experience in invasive species management, the Conservancy is tackling the challenge through science leadership, effective land and water management, and encouraging better business practices and stronger public policies, which will prevent new invasions and stem the spread of established invaders.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.