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Invasives InitiativeInvasives Initiative

Presented by:Dr. Scott JosiahState Forester / DirectorNebraska Forest Service

National S&PF Leadership TeamMay 6-7, 2008 Charlotte NC

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Resource Concern

Programmatic Environment

Initiative Objectives

Initiative Accomplishment

Current and Future Needs

Overview:Overview:

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The Great Plains Tree & Forest Invasives Initiative The Great Plains Tree & Forest Invasives Initiative addresses all three themesaddresses all three themes

S&PF Redesign’s 3 National Themes:S&PF Redesign’s 3 National Themes:

1. Conserve working forest landscapes

2. Protect forests from harm

3. Enhance public benefits from trees & forests

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Principles:Principles:

The Great Plains Tree and Forest Invasives Initiative The Great Plains Tree and Forest Invasives Initiative utilizes all four of these guiding principlesutilizes all four of these guiding principles..

1. Landscape–scale approach

2. Collaborative planning and implementation

3. Prioritization of outcomes

4. Innovative use of technology

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Invasives InitiativeInvasives Initiative

Project Components (over 2 years)

1. Comprehensive forest and tree resource assessment

- Urban & community forests - Rural forests- Agroforests/linear forests

2. Education and outreach

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3. Monitoring and detection

- Citizen monitoring and detection network

- Campground education

- Wood in transit education program

4. Marketing and utilization

5. State and regional planning

6. Geospatial mapping

The Great Plains Tree & Forest The Great Plains Tree & Forest Invasives InitiativeInvasives Initiative

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Highest percentage of ash in rural & urban forests in the US

Ash resource at great risk to Emerald AshBorer (EAB)

Impacts worse than Dutch Elm Disease

Project structured to prepare for future invasives, not just EAB

Need for the Great Plains Initiative?Need for the Great Plains Initiative?

BEFORE AFTER

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Ash is one of the most popular species to plant

Represents 20 – 40% of many community forests

Over 50% in some northern Great Plains communities

Resource at Risk:Resource at Risk:

How do you manage the removal, disposal and replacement of 30% of your trees in 5 years?

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Impact Example:Impact Example: Lincoln, Nebraska

State capitol 236,000 population 83 sq. miles Tree City USA 31

years 640,000 trees total

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City example City example cont . . .cont . . .

Ash = 25% of all trees in Lincoln

160,000 ash trees at $600 - $800 per tree for removal, disposal & replacement

City cost to remove, dispose & replace city owned ash trees = $20.8 million

Homeowner cost to remove, dispose & replant 128,000 private ash trees = $112 million

Loss of ecological services = $3.1 million/year

Total economic impact = $135.9 million

Wood volume (all ash) = 210,000 tons or 10 million cu ft (enough to heat and cool 1 million + sq. ft of campus buildings in the GP for 23 years)

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Before Removal

After Removal

Dead & dying trees in communities & rural settings require removal & proper disposal

Community impacts on a Community impacts on a landscape levellandscape level

Direct impact on:

- energy efficiencies

- property values

- lifespan of pavement and hard infrastructure

Photos courtesy of Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources

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Source: Ohio Dept of Natural Resources

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Identified Locations:Identified Locations:

2002

2005

2007

NOTE - these represent confirmed finds NOT extent of spread

We really do not know the actual extent and spread of EAB at present

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. .

The North Central Great Plains:The North Central Great Plains:NE, KS, SD, NDNE, KS, SD, ND

• 300,000 square miles

• 5 million acres of forestland

• 2,000 communities

• 5.9 million people

• Tens of thousands of farmstead & conservation tree plantings

- windbreaks

- riparian forest buffers

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Phase One Activities: 2007- 2008Phase One Activities: 2007- 2008

Develop & conduct statistically valid regional inventories of rural agroforests, & urban & community forests

Identify education needs and existing resources, implement outreach program to targeted groups:

agency/extension personnel, campgrounds, fuelwood entrepreneurs, legislators & government leaders, general public, etc.

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Expand trapping programs

design & implement citizen monitoring program for early detection

Facilitate completion of individual states’ EAB response plans

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Conduct 2nd round of regional urban/agroforest inventories

Assemble FIA data for rural forests Develop geospatial applications &

products of all inventory & other data Continue implementing targeted

education & outreach programs Maintain trapping programs, expand

citizen monitoring program Use inventory and geospatial data to

identify and/or develop markets for ash wood

Integrate inventory data into state forest assessment & response plans

Develop Great Plains regional EAB response plan

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GPI Accomplishments since 9/07GPI Accomplishments since 9/07

Developed new, fast, low cost, statistically-valid inventory models for: Agroforests & linear forests Urban and community forests,

enabling extensive analysis via the I-Tree suite of tools

Model protocols replicable nationally & internationally

Integrate FIA, agroforest & Urban Forest Effect Model (UFORE) for consolidated data analysis & geospatial products

Uses new and cutting edge technology - iPAQ pda units with drop down menus, LaserAce hypsometers, & Garmin GPS

1,200 inventory plots to be measured this summer

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GPI Accomplishments since 9/07 GPI Accomplishments since 9/07 cont . . .cont . . .

Developed citizen monitoring system for early detection

Institutional barriers broken down, fostering close working partnership among state forestry agencies, the USFS & other agencies

Created a model for institutional collaboration that focuses on rapid field implementation

Project innovations rapidly being adopted by other states.

Substantially enhanced state capacity to deal with invasives

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PartnershipsPartnershipsRegion 2: - Susan Ford, S&PF U&CF, GPI member- Bob Cain, Forest Health, GPI memberRegion 4: - Margie Ewing, S&PF U&CF, GPI memberNorthern Research Station: - Mark Twery, NorthSTAR program- Kurt Gottscalk, Invasives Species program- Dave Nowak, Urban Forests Program- Chip Scott, Nat’l Inven. & Monit. Applic. Ctr.- James Blehm, Forest Inventory Analysis- Jay Solomakos, Forest Inventory Analysis- Katherine Johnson, Forest Inventory Analysis- Mary Miller, Forest Inventory Analysis Northeast Area: - Noel Schneeberger, Forest HealthNational Agroforestry Center: - Richard Straight, Lead Agroforester

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Additional Partners:Additional Partners: State Forestry agencies State Game and Parks agencies Western Forestry Leadership Coalition Council of Western State Foresters Land Grant Universities Arbor Day Foundation Green Industry (arborists & nursery) USDA APHIS Soil & Water Conservation & Natural

Resource Districts State Departments of Agriculture Universities and Extension USDA NRCS Community/City Agencies Community Mayors and Civic Leaders Community Tree Boards

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Projected Benefits of the GPI:Projected Benefits of the GPI: Landscape-scale leveraged

impacts Lasting cooperation &

coordination via new ways of working together

Durable, sustainable results Cutting-edge technological

adaptations to real world problems across landscapes

Readily transferable & replicable results, both nationally and internationally

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Proactive ActionProactive Action

Substantially increased public awareness & capacity for quick action once EAB arrives

Advanced interagency planning – states prepared to act

Early detection through innovative & enhanced citizen monitoring, enabling community and individual action to “slow the spread”

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Save States $Save States $

Early detection will help to keep infestations small. Smaller infestations are far cheaper to manage than larger infestations

Slower spread allows communities and states to spread out removal & replacement costs over time

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Consensus achieved within the green industry to reduce ash production & planting, leading to:

• enhanced community forest & agroforest diversity

• reduced community forest & agroforest vulnerability to future destructive invasives

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Data derived from the GPI will substantially enhance the quality of State Forest Resource Assessment, Response & Action Plans

GPI data will allow, for the first time, comprehensive state & regional economic analyses of urban & community forests & agroforest values, & of the ecological services they provide

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The University of Nebraska–Lincoln does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or

ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

Dr. Scott JosiahState Forester & Director Nebraska Forest Service

402-472-1467SJosiah2@unl.eduwww.nfs.unl.edu