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Nature Conservancy Urges Congress to Eradicate Invasive Pests, Protect Forests Now (Op-Ed)

Pennsylvania’s forests are under attack, but our nation has a tremendous opportunity to check this invasion. Forestry professionals, businesses, and conservation organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, are urging Congress to increase funding to protect Pennsylvania’s forest and tourism industries, the urban trees that shade and beautify our city streets, and the forest lands that provide so many environmental benefits.

What’s at stake is billions of dollars in destruction from foreign insects and diseases that enter the U.S. from overseas shipments and take hold here in Pennsylvania--killing our native trees, wreaking havoc on our timber and nursery industries, and forcing local governments to spend tens of thousands of dollars to remove and replace damaged trees.

This isn’t a new issue in Pennsylvania. We’ve already seen widespread destruction from the Gypsy Moth and threats to our State tree from the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. But this is perhaps the first time we have a real chance at stopping four new invaders before they are widely established in Pennsylvania:  Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, Sudden Oak Death pathogen, and Sirex Woodwasp. Several of these forest pests are already here, another is right on our doorstep. 

Congress may soon consider a proposal to increase funding to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – the primary agency responsible for preventing the introduction and spread of these non-native insects and diseases that attack and kill trees.  Senator Robert Casey has played an important role in this effort, which also has received support from Senator Arlen Specter and Representative Jim Gerlach. 

Increased funding also could gain backing from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which will consider at its June 20-24 convention a resolution calling on Congress to support efforts to combat priority forest pests and pathogens--before America’s cities are forced to spend even more for restoration and ongoing suppression.  In the long run, boosting investment in the prevention and eradication of these pests today can save trees and dollars. 

The Nature Conservancy urges Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s other mayors in attendance to support the Conference of Mayors’ resolution and strongly urges Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to support adequate funding of our first line of defense against invasive forest pests. The time to act is now--before these pests degrade the health of our forest and force us to spend millions more to repair their damage.

Bill Kunze
Pennsylvania State Director
The Nature Conservancy
Nature.org/pennsylvania

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters 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.