The gypsy moth , a serious pest of hardwood forests, threatens Georgia from the north. Using a statewide network of traps, the Georgia Forestry Commission and USDA Forest Service cooperate to monitor for any accidental introductions of the gypsy moth. Since 1991, the Georgia Forestry Commission in cooperation with USDA Forest Service Research and Forest Health Protection has participated in the Forest Health Monitoring Program. This program is designed to annually collect, analyze, interpret and report on the conditions of the forests in Georgia. This is accomplished through a network of over 200 detection plots.
Diseases also threaten Georgia's forests.
Two of the most important are fusiform rust and annosum root disease of pines. Fusiform rust has infected 4.6 million acres of pine stands. Dogwood anthracnose is a disease that occurs in the forest environment at higher elevations and in cool moist areas. This disease was initially found in Georgia in 1987. It is now known to be present and causing significant mortality to the native dogwoods in 38 counties, primarily in the northern part of the state.