The Exotic Forest Pest Information System for North America (EFPISNA)

1. EFPISNA operates under the sponsorship and overall guidance of the Study Group. EFPISNA is coordinated by Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service (FS) FHP, with participation by several specialists from the three countries. EFPISNA is an internet-based database that identifies exotic insects, mites, and pathogenic organisms with potential to cause significant damage to North American forest resources. The database indicates the relative importance of each pest based on ability to maintain a population and cause either economic or envi-ronmental damage in its new range. The database is available to plant pest quarantine, forest research, and forest protection agencies as a source of information for their decisions. EFPISNA now has 17 pest records available on the project web site with more than 90 additional pest records in the editing process. The EFPISNA Web Site address is www.exoticforestpests.org. All three countries contribute time and expertise. In addition, US$340,000 have been made available to the project to date (funding sources: USDA APHIS, USDA FS-RES & FHP, and USDA FAS); as of 1 October 1999, US$114,467 remained on hand. Current funds on hand are expected to carry the project through September 2000, and therefore no additional funds are needed at this time. The Study Group continues to strongly support the project, but finds some concerns about the progress of the project that will be referred to the project coordinator and the others from the three countries who are working with him. On a related matter, the Study Group supported a proposal from Jorge Macias-Samano, who participates in EFPISNA, to present the project at the World Congress of Entomology in Brazil as an effort to encourage participation of the larger sci-entific community.

"Mistletoes of North American Conifers"

2. This will be a practical guide to management of mistle-toes of conifers and will be published by the USDA FS's Rocky Mountain Station. Authors are ex-pected to submit their final revisions by October 2000. A year at least is needed to budget for publica-tion and go through the editorial process at the Station. Station review and approval will require 6 mon-ths; another 6 months will be needed for layout, proofreading, printing, binding, and distribution. Funding of US$60-80 thousand is needed to publish 6,000 English language copies and 2,000 Spanish language copies. Responsibility for preparing this guide is shared by Brian Geils, USA, Ben Moody, Canada, and Jos� Cibrian, Mexico. The Study Group asks the Commission for any available financial assistance for publishing this guide.

"Forest Diseases of Mexico"

3. This will be the companion book to the outstanding "Forest Insects of Mexico" which was also sponsored by the Study Group and published in 1995. Financial estimates for printing are US$200,000 to print 4,000 copies, but this estimate could change according to the number of printed books and its final size. USDA FS-FHP provided US$10 thousand in 1999 to help pay for illustrations, photo composition, and page design. The book will be ready to print at the end of September 2000. There are several joint authors. Contact to the Study Group is Rub�n Guti�rrez The Study Group asks the Commission for any available financial assistance for publishing this book.

Technical exchanges

4. The following technical exchanges were proposed: Request for assistance from Dave Dwinell, USDA FS RES in species identification of pinewood nematode in Mexico and to consult on comparison of Mexican and USA biotypes of pine pitch canker. Request that two additional Sanidad Forestal staff participate in aerial pest survey training in the United States in 2000. (In 1999, two members of Sanidad Forestal staff flew 30+ hours (est. 2.5 million hectares) with USDA FS FHP aerial survey teams in the Northern and Pacific Northwest Regions for intensive training.) Request for assistance from John Kleijunas, USDA FS FHP in completing certain portions of "Forest Diseases of Mexico". Request for assistance in designing a monitoring system and training for monitoring gypsy moth in northeast Mexico. Request for training in forest health monitoring to help determine basic criteria that may be used, applicable to forest health restoration in National Parks in Mexico. Mel Weiss asked that Sanidad Forestal send a written request consolidating technical exchange proposals which require participation by USDA FS FHP staff. In addition to the proposals from Mexico, the USDA APHIS and Canadian Food Inspection Agency extended invitations to Mexico to send staff to particicipate in port inspections and Rub�n Guti�rrez will contact Jane Levy and Marcel Dawson with names.

North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)

5. The Study Group is chartered to act as a technical advisory body to the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) and to urge NAPPO to deal with issues and provide technical sup-port. NAPPO has a "Forestry Panel". Members of the NAPPO Forestry Panel are Marcel Dawson, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Gustavo Hern�ndez, Sanidad Forestal, Ben Moody, Canadian Forest Service, Jane Levy, USDA APHIS, and Tom Hofacker, USDA FS FHP. The NAPPO Forestry Panel members, most of whom also attend meetings of the Study Group, provide the main contact point between the Study Group and NAPPO. The Study Group encourages continued participation of NAPPO forestry panel members in Study Group meetings. As noted at last year's Study Group meeting the Forestry Panel developed a NAPPO standard for wood packing material. The standard has now been officially adopted by NAPPO member countries.

New subcommittees

6. The Study Group formed two new subcommittees. The Study Group formed a new subcommittee to survey institutional capacity in biosystematics in high priority countries. This action is in response to the Commission's recommendation. Ben Moody was named subcommittee chairperson, with members Paul Dunn, USDA Forest Service, and Mexico to identify a member. The Study Group formed another new subcommittee to encourage the three countries to identify research needs and coordinate research priorities for phytosanitary treatments. Efficacy data is lacking to respond to issues for wood and wood products. Marcel Dawson was named subcommittee chairperson. Jane Levy and Rub�n Guti�rrez will identify research and quarantine members from respective countries, and provide names to Marcel Dawson by the end of October. The Study Group encourages NAPPO and the NAPPO Forestry Panel to consider support for this effort. At its 1998 meeting the Study Group discussed the need for establishing a subcommittee on early detection of newly introduced non-native insects and pathogens. After further discussion at this meeting the Study Group decided not to form a subcommittee at this time. The topic of early detection was proposed as the theme for next year's Study Group meeting (see below). Tom Hofacker will keep the Study Group informed about NAPPO activities related to early detection.

Resolutions to be provided to the Commission

7. The Study Group thanks the British Columbia government for its aggressive control program in 1999 of (North American) gypsy moth. The Study Group supports the continued availability of the fumigant methyl bromide for phytosanitary treatments as essential to protect North American forests until effective alternatives are available, including increasing the use of methyl bromide for phytosanitary treatments as necessary.

Other publications

8. At its previous meeting the Study Group discussed preparing a publication on forest ecosystem health issues for the public. The Study Group decided to postpone action on this proposal due to higher priorities and an already heavy workload at this time.

Charter

9. The Study Group reviewed its charter and recommends no changes at this time. Members view the Study Group as functioning well, with many multinational benefits. Any further review of the charter should be part of the upcoming Commission-wide review of study groups. Sheila Andrus, USDA FS-Research, asked the Study Group to consider its possible role and the roles of other study groups in exotic, in-vasive plant management. (The Study Group charter encompasses all forest insects and diseases, including exotic or non-native forest insects and diseases; however, it does not include exotic or invasive plants.) The Study Group recognizes the broad representation of disciplines required to address exotic or non-native, invasive plants, and recommends that the Commission consider a separate study group. The Study Group has an interest in helping shape the charter of the new study group on inventory and monitoring considering information needed on insects and diseases particularly exotics or non-native species.

Next Chair

10. The new chair will be from Canada and has yet to be named.

Next Meeting

11. The next meeting of the Study Group is proposed for Victoria, BC, Canada, in the second or third week of September, 2000. The proposed theme is "Early Warning--Detection and Monitoring of Inva-sive, Non-native Forest Insects and Diseases".

Submitted by Mel Weiss, USDA FS FHP Out-going Chairperson, Forest Insects and Diseases Study Group, NAFC January 14, 2000