Invasive Forest Pests: Recent Infestations and Continued Vulnerabilities at Ports of Entry Place U.S. Forests at Risk
Published: 2006-06-21T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: Invasive forest pests have seriously harmed our environment and imposed significant costs on our economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the lead agency for responding to forest pests and coordinates with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent pests from entering the country. GAO issued two reports in 2006 on these programs. This testimony describes (1) the status of USDA's efforts to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, and Phytophthora ramorum; (2) the factors affecting the success of those eradication efforts; and (3) areas of continued vulnerability in regard to preventing the arrival and spread of forest pests.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: On the basis of the available evidence, it appears that the Asian longhorned beetle will be eradicated in the three states that have infestations, although funding reductions have extended the likely completion date. In contrast, the emerald ash borer and P. ramorum--the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death--are likely to continue to infest and damage forest ecosystems in the Midwest and on the West Coast, despite efforts to control them. The success of the federal responses to these infestations has been affected by several factors. First, the unique biological characteristics of each species greatly influences the ability to effectively control them. Second, quarantines have helped contain the spread of the pests, but implementing and enforcing quarantines has been difficult. Third, the only available method for eradicating these pests is to destroy infested trees and plants--a costly and sometimes impractical approach. Fourth, despite budgeting over $420 million to control these three pests, USDA program managers told GAO that funding has not been sufficient to fully implement their programs. We also found that USDA had not adequately prepared up-to-date management plans to provide decision makers and the public with current information on the extent of the infestation, eradication goals, and long-term funding needs. We identified areas of vulnerability that we believe increase the risk of future forest pest infestations. Specifically, we found that despite efforts to expand USDA's forest health monitoring programs, they do not adequately provide for comprehensive monitoring in urban forests or other locations considered at high risk from pest invasions. Monitoring in such areas is important because they are common destination points for internationally traded cargo, which is a frequent pathway for pests. Improvements could help prevent situations such as those experienced with the Asian longhorned beetle, the emerald ash borer, and P. ramorum, in which years of delay in detection allowed them to become established before control programs began. In our report on port inspections, we found that DHS has not used a risk-based staffing model to assign newly hired agricultural specialists to ports of entry. As a result, DHS does not have assurance that staff are assigned to areas of greatest vulnerability. In addition, despite an interagency agreement intended to facilitate coordination between DHS and USDA, agricultural specialists are not consistently receiving notifications of changes to policies and urgent inspection alerts in a timely manner. We also reported that DHS has allowed the canine inspection program--dogs trained to locate items that might harbor pests--to deteriorate. Dozens of canine units are vacant, and the proficiency scores of the remaining canine units have declined.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: I am pleased to be here today to discuss federal efforts to prevent the  introduction of agricultural pests into the United States and to control and  eradicate pests once they have entered. As you know, our public and  private forests provide enormous value to the nation in the form of raw  materials for building supplies and fuel, natural resources for wildlife  habitat, air and water purification, and opportunities for recreation. The  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for protecting the  health of the nation’s forests from harmful pests. The Animal and Plant  Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Forest Service are USDA’s lead  agencies in this regard, and they often work with other federal, state, and  local agencies to manage and eradicate invasive species infestations. In  addition, USDA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  coordinate port inspection programs intended to prevent the entry of new  agricultural pests, including those that threaten forest resources.
Forest pests can have substantial impacts on our environment and  economy, costing society billions of dollars in lost revenue and restoration  expenses. When forest pests kill trees, they reduce the value of  timberlands and residential property, harm businesses, increase the risk of  wildfire, degrade ecosystems, and place upon homeowners and local  governments the costly burden of removing dead trees before they become  a safety hazard. Hundreds of nonnative invasive insect and pathogen  species have already infested our nation’s forests, resulting in huge losses  of native tree species. Furthermore, because of the large number of  visitors and enormous volume of foreign cargo that arrive in the United  States every day, there is the potential that other pests may pass through  our borders and cause further damage.
My testimony today is based on two recent GAO reports. The first is a  report we provided to the full committee in April on three serious forest  pests—the Asian longhorned beetle; the emerald ash borer; and  Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death— and other matters relating to forest monitoring. The second is a May 2006  report provided to congressional requesters that reviewed the transfer of  agricultural inspection activities at ports of entry from USDA to DHS and  how this transfer has affected the inspection program. Drawing from  those reports, my testimony will discuss: (1) the status of USDA’s efforts  to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, and P.  ramorum; (2) the factors affecting the success of those eradication  efforts; and (3) areas of continued vulnerability in regard to preventing the  arrival and spread of forest pests.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: The impact of invasive species in the United States is widespread, and  their consequences for the economy and the environment are profound.  Invasive species are nonnative plants, animals, and microorganisms  intentionally or unintentionally brought into a new environment. Once in  that new location, these species may be able to crowd out native species,  multiply at a rapid rate, and spread to other locations. These invaders can  also affect people’s livelihoods and pose a significant risk to industries  such as agriculture, ranching, and fishing. The cost to control invasive  species and the cost of the damages they inflict are estimated at billions of  dollars annually.
With respect to our nation’s forests, the history of harmful invasive species  is long. For example, starting in the early 1800s, American chestnut trees  were devastated by a succession of two nonnative pathogens—ink disease  and chestnut blight. Chestnut trees were a major component of the  nation’s deciduous forests, were valuable to wildlife, and had wide use as  a source of lumber. Today, chestnut trees still survive in much of their  former range, but only as sprouts from the old root systems. The gypsy  moth is another serious invasive forest species that continues to harm our  nation’s forests more than 130 years after its accidental release by an  amateur entomologist studying silkworms.
Each of the three forest pests we reviewed in our April report likely  entered our country in the last 20 years. The Asian longhorned beetle  likely entered in the mid-1980s, currently infests areas in Illinois, New  Jersey, and New York, and affects hardwood trees such as maple and elm.  The emerald ash borer likely entered the United States in the early 1990s  and infests about 40,000 square miles in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and some  parts of Canada. A small infestation was confirmed just last week in  Illinois. The borer affects all 16 species of North American ash trees. It is  thought that the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death, P. ramorum,  entered the country as early as the mid-1990s, although how it arrived is  unknown. Of the three pests we reviewed, P. ramorum affects the widest  range of species, including various species of oak and ornamental plants  such as rhododendrons and camellias. The pathogen has affected more  than 19,000 square miles in California and one county in southwestern  Oregon. Together, according to USDA, these forest pests have the  potential to cause the loss of trees valued at trillions of dollars.
APHIS is the lead federal agency responsible for responding to insects and  diseases that have entered the country and that might harm U.S.  agriculture. APHIS conducts detection surveys, issues quarantines, directs  eradication efforts such as removing infested trees or applying pesticides,  develops control technologies, and performs public outreach. The Forest  Service—which has federal responsibility for protecting the nation’s  forests—conducts surveys and research and undertakes reforestation of  areas affected by pests. DHS plays a critical role in protecting agricultural  interests—including the nation’s forests—by coordinating activities with  USDA designed to keep pests out of the country. DHS inspects ships,  airplanes, vehicles, cargo, and passengers and their baggage for prohibited  agricultural materials that may serve as carriers for pests and disease.  USDA conducted agricultural inspections in the past, but the Homeland  Security Act of 2002 transferred this function, among others, to DHS.  Funding for pest management activities comes through annual  appropriations and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), which is a  government-owned entity that finances farm commodity, conservation,  and trade programs and provides funding for agricultural-related  emergencies. The Secretary may transfer funds from the CCC (or other  available USDA appropriations) for the arrest, control, eradication, and  prevention of the spread of a plant pest and related expenses.
State agencies also play an important role in managing invasive species.  For example, state agencies impose quarantines to prevent the movement  of infested materials within their state and take actions to eradicate pests.  Working with APHIS, state agencies also monitor for specific plant pests,  including some that have already arrived in the country and others that  have not but are believed to pose a threat. In addition, APHIS and the  Forest Service enter into cooperative agreements with states to jointly  carry out eradication programs and provide funding assistance for these  programs.
section_title: Eradicating the Asian Longhorned Beetle Appears Likely, While Success on the Emerald Ash Borer and P. ramorum Is Less Promising
paragraphs: Evidence suggests that the Asian longhorned beetle will be eradicated,  while the emerald ash borer and P. ramorum are likely to continue to  infest and damage forest ecosystems indefinitely, despite efforts to control  them.
Asian longhorned beetle: Efforts to eradicate the Asian longhorned  beetle appear likely to succeed in New Jersey, New York, and Illinois.  Over 8,000 trees infested with the beetle have been removed, and over  600,000 trees have been chemically treated to protect against beetle  infestations. As a result of these and other actions, federal and state  agencies have been able to reduce the size of the infested areas.  APHIS's current goals for Illinois and New Jersey are to confirm  eradication and end the management programs in 2008 and 2012,  respectively.  The current goal for declaring eradication in New York is  2021.
Emerald ash borer: In contrast, we reported in April that it is unlikely  that the emerald ash borer can be eradicated in the United States. Its  small size, inconspicuous habits, and flight capabilities have aided the  spread of the borer. In addition, human activities, such as moving  infested firewood, have amplified the natural spread of the insect.  Current management goals call for eradicating the borer in Indiana and  Ohio and containing it in Michigan, which has the most extensive  infestations. The pest has killed an estimated 15 million trees. USDA  estimated that the cost of removing and replacing dead ash trees in  urban and suburban areas could reach $7 billion over a 25-year period.
P. ramorum: Similar to the borer, it is unlikely that P. ramorum can  be eradicated in the United States. Managing the pathogen is difficult  given the size of the infestation and the many ways it can be spread— through movement of plant material, soil on car tires, and possibly  even fog. APHIS and state agencies have attempted to eradicate the  pathogen from forests in only a few situations where the infestations  were relatively small, such as in Curry County, Oregon. While  seemingly impossible to eradicate from the natural environment,  APHIS and state agencies are hoping to eradicate the pathogen from  nurseries to reduce the risk that infected ornamental plants will spread  the pathogen to other locations in the country. P. ramorum has killed  tens of thousands of trees and led to the destruction of over 1 million  nursery plants. These trees and plants were worth millions of dollars in  ornamental, timber, wildlife, and environmental value.
section_title: Many Factors Affect the Success of Eradication Efforts
paragraphs: The success of efforts to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle, the  emerald ash borer, and P. ramorum has been affected by factors relating  to species biology, quarantines, detection and control technologies, and  funding.
subsections: section_title: Species Biology
paragraphs: Specific biological characteristics of each of the three pests greatly  influence the potential success of eradication efforts. The Asian  longhorned beetle is a large, conspicuous bug that does not fly far from  the core infestation. As a result, it is fairly noticeable and does not spread  quickly, making it easier to detect and control. Conversely, the emerald  ash borer and P. ramorum are more insidious and can spread over greater  distances and more rapidly, making control efforts more difficult.
section_title: Quarantines
paragraphs: Officials involved with all three pests believe that the use of quarantines  has helped to reduce the spread of the pests but we observed that  implementing quarantines can be difficult. Quarantines help limit the  spread of an invasive species by regulating the movement of potentially  infested materials—such as firewood, nursery plants, and wood debris.  However, the effectiveness of quarantines is limited by the prevailing  knowledge about how the pest spreads and about the extent of its  infestation. Since the Asian longhorned beetle infestations were relatively  small, identifying the geographic boundaries for quarantines was fairly  easy. In contrast, the boundaries for the quarantines for the borer were  revised several times in response to information that indicated the  infestations were much larger than originally thought. As a result of the  incorrect quarantine boundaries, there was a greater risk that people  would move infested material to unaffected locations. Similarly, the  quarantines for P. ramorum had to be revised after learning that a nursery  outside the quarantined area had become infested and had shipped plants  to at least 22 states.
The success of quarantines can also depend heavily on effectively  educating the public about the ways in which pests can be spread. For  each of the three forest pest species we reviewed, certain normally  harmless actions—such as moving firewood or tracking soil in hiking  boots—can result in transporting the pests to new locations. Because  nearly any individual can engage in such actions, including residents  traveling to campgrounds or vacation homes and small firewood dealers, it  is hard to define and reach target audiences with information about  quarantines and enforcement efforts. Educating the public about activities  that could spread the pests and then enforcing compliance with  quarantines are thus daunting tasks. While stakeholders believe that  outreach efforts by the three pest management programs have helped  educate the public about the dangers of individual actions, all it takes is  one piece of infested firewood or contaminated soil to start a potential  infestation.
section_title: Detection and Control Technologies
paragraphs: Successful control and eradication of the three forest pests we reviewed  have been constrained by a lack of cost-effective tools for detecting and  eliminating the pests. Detection methods for the three pests consist largely  of visual observations, and in the case of P. ramorum, costly laboratory  diagnostics. Such methods are not always effective and, given the size of  the infestations, are resource intensive and time consuming. Research is  ongoing into various technologies to develop better detection capabilities,  such as chemical lures for the beetle and borer.
Eradication methods are similarly limited. Currently, the only option is to  destroy the infested tree or plant material as well as nearby trees and  plants suspected of being infested, usually by cutting, chipping, or burning.  This approach has been used to eradicate infestations of the Asian  longhorned beetle. Although we refer to the beetle’s infestations as  “relatively small,” over 8,000 infested trees have been removed. Such  efforts, however, are not practical given the size of the infestations of  emerald ash borer and P. ramorum. As a result, managers have used  selective removal of trees infested with the emerald ash borer and P.  ramorum to eradicate small outlying infestations. Trees are also being  removed along the perimeter of large emerald ash borer infestations in  hopes of containing them. The most extensive eradication efforts for P.  ramorum are occurring in nurseries for plants that are infested or  suspected of being infested; these are routinely destroyed according to  quarantine regulations. Although removal of trees with emerald ash borer  and P. ramorum has been selective, hundreds of thousands of infested or  potentially infested trees have been destroyed. Unfortunately, there are no  chemical or biological treatments available to effectively kill the pests on a  broad scale, although research is ongoing to develop methods of killing  these pests without requiring the removal and destruction of infested trees  and plants. Preventive chemical treatments have been used extensively for  the Asian longhorned beetle—over 600,000 trees have been treated—but  only to a limited extent for the other two pests and primarily by home  owners to protect valuable landscape trees.
section_title: Funding Levels
paragraphs: The federal government has provided over $420 million for programs to  control the three infestations we reviewed, primarily through the CCC  fund and appropriations to APHIS’s emerging plant pest program. States  have also provided funding for management actions, although it has  generally been less than the federal investment. However, program  officials involved with managing the three pests told us either that funding  has not been what was needed or that they are concerned about the  prospects for maintaining existing efforts in light of funding constraints.  Some management officials also noted that the unpredictable timing of  funding, particularly the transfers from the CCC fund, hamper their ability  to plan and implement control activities.
Over the years, USDA has allocated about $249 million to control the Asian  longhorned beetle, $112 million for the emerald ash borer, and $61 million  for P. ramorum. For the beetle and borer, program managers told us that  funding shortfalls will limit the control and eradication actions that can be  taken. We reported in April that funding reductions for the beetle during  fiscal years 2002 and 2003 resulted in moving the target date for  completing the eradication program from 2009 to 2014, but current funding  levels placed that date in question. In June 2006, APHIS issued a revised  strategic plan that projected a completion date in New York of 2021. For  the emerald ash borer, state officials in Michigan and Ohio have  announced that programs for removing trees in infested areas have been  significantly reduced because of a lack of federal funding. Nearly all  stakeholders we interviewed regarding P. ramorum raised concerns that  funding has not been adequate to contain the pathogen.
Related to funding concerns, we found that timely updates to pest  management plans for the three species have not always been available to  provide decision makers and the public with current information about  how recent developments—including funding reductions—will affect the  prospects for success of the containment and eradication of these pests.  We recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture prepare, publish, and  regularly update management plans for pests for which the department  has initiated a management program. The plans and their updates should  incorporate and describe changes in the extent of the infestations,  progress to date in control and eradication efforts, and long-term funding  needs.
section_title: Other Areas of Continued Vulnerability in Regard to Preventing the Arrival and Spread of Pests
paragraphs: In our work on the three forest pests and, more broadly, the coordination  between USDA and DHS on invasive species prevention activities, we  found vulnerabilities that we believe should be addressed to reduce the  risk that new forest pests will arrive and spread. These vulnerabilities  involve USDA’s overall forest health monitoring program and USDA’s and  DHS’s management of port inspections.
subsections: section_title: Monitoring of Urban and Other High-Risk Locations
paragraphs: Many forest pests, including at least two of the three we reviewed, were  first introduced in urbanized environments. Urban areas are at high risk  because they are common destinations for cargo and travelers that might  be transporting pests. With the three pests we examined, as well as others,  we have seen that delays in detection and identification allowed them to  become established and spread before control efforts could begin. USDA  has recognized the need to conduct more monitoring and has increased  the level of resources devoted to monitoring for new forest pests.  However, those efforts have been limited in scope, as illustrated by the  following:    The Forest Service’s bark beetle survey was started in 2001. The program  has placed traps on a temporary basis at more than 300 high-risk sites  around the country, including in urban forests. While this program has  demonstrated that it can detect new pest species, we found that it does not  comprehensively cover high-risk sites and that it focuses on a limited set  of insect species. The Forest Service told us that the agency was  considering expanding the program.
The Forest Service initiated a pilot project in several states to improve  urban forest health monitoring in 1999. The project has two components.  The first seeks to extend the agency’s normal forest sampling program,  which traditionally has not sufficiently sampled urban forests. The second  component seeks to implement a roadside tree assessment using plots  established within public rights-of-way in urban areas. To date, the agency  has implemented pilot projects in Colorado, Indiana, Maryland,  Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Since only seven  states were covered by this pilot, systematic monitoring of urban areas is  still not adequate. According to the director of the agency’s Urban and  Community Forestry Program, there is a strong case to be made for  expanding monitoring to cover urban areas that are now classified as  nonforest but that have trees and are at risk from such pests as the  emerald ash borer.
As a result of the limited nature of these and other USDA monitoring  efforts, there are still many high-risk locations that are not adequately  covered. To reduce these risks, we recommended that the Secretary of  Agriculture expand current efforts to monitor forest health conditions,  particularly in urban and suburban areas that are at high risk of receiving  invasive insects and diseases. In response to this recommendation, USDA  noted that other governmental and nongovernmental organizations have a  role to play in combating invasive species, including monitoring. We agree  that other entities have that role, but also believe that USDA has an  important leadership role to play in developing and supporting the forest  health monitoring capabilities of nonfederal entities.
section_title: Port Inspections
paragraphs: The infestations of the three species we reviewed, as well as others, began  when the pests passed through U.S. ports of entry, hitchhiking in vehicles,  cargo, or travelers’ personal belongings. That pests have become  established indicates that the first line of defense at the border has been  breeched over the years. In May 2006, we reported that DHS and USDA  face management and coordination problems that increase the  vulnerability of the United States to foreign pests and disease. For  example, we found that DHS has not developed or used a risk-based  staffing model to ensure that adequate numbers of agricultural inspectors  are staffed to ports and other areas of greatest vulnerability. In addition,  despite an interagency agreement intended to facilitate coordination and  communication between DHS and USDA, agricultural specialists are not  consistently receiving notifications of changes to inspection policies and  urgent inspection alerts. For example, we estimated that 20 percent of  agricultural specialists do not regularly receive notices that policy manuals  have been updated, and only 21 percent of agriculture specialists always  receive urgent inspection alerts in a timely manner. These breakdowns in  communication could hamper inspectors’ ability to search for and detect  new pest threats. We also found that DHS has allowed its canine detection  program (dogs trained to sniff out items that may harbor pests) to  deteriorate. The number and proficiency of canine teams has decreased  substantially over the last several years. This limits the essential  contributions these dogs can make to prevent the entry of prohibited  agricultural items.
We made several recommendations to address these deficiencies that we  believe would help reduce the likelihood that new pests will enter the  country. For example, we recommended that the agencies establish a  process to identify and assess the major risks posed by foreign pests and  disease, and develop and implement a national staffing model to ensure  that staffing levels at each port are sufficient to meet those risks. We also  recommended that USDA and DHS ensure that urgent inspection alerts  and other information essential to safeguarding U.S. agriculture are more  effectively shared between the departments and transmitted to DHS  agriculture specialists in the ports. In addition, we recommended that the  agencies improve the effectiveness of the canine program by reviewing  policies and procedures regarding training and staffing of canines and  ensure that these policies and procedures are followed in the port. USDA  and DHS generally agreed with the report’s recommendations and noted  that various initiatives are either planned or underway to address them.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be happy to  answer any questions that you or other Members of the Committee may  have.
section_title: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: For further information about this testimony, please contact me at (202)  512-3841 or bertonid@gao.gov. Trish McClure, Ross Campbell, and Terry  Horner made key contributions to this statement.
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