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Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

John T. Nowak Forest Health Protection john.t.nowak@usda.gov

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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History and Highlights

  • At the request of Congress, the program started in 2003.
  • This program is administered by Forest Health Protection and implemented by 12 National Forests and 13 southern states.
  • Increasing forest resiliency through good forest management is a key feature of this plan. Treatments include forest thinning, prescribed fire and restoring native pine forests.
  • Nearly 1.3 million acres (average $91/acre) have been treated using program guidelines and more than 16,000 landowners and loggers have directly benefitted from state cost-share programs.

R8 SPB Prevention Program

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Initial Program Decisions

majority of the funding for on-the-ground accomplishments

Interacting with landowners was important

Good SPB management = Forestry 101

States had flexibility to develop their own programs

R8 SPB Prevention Program

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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  • Appropriate species for site
  • Fire is part of the equation
  • Low stand density is preferable (<80 sq ft)

R8 SPB Prevention Program

  • Healthy diameter growth
  • Good live crown ratio (> 33%)
  • Adequate tree spacing (> 20 ft)

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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R8 SPB Prevention Program

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Prevention and Restoration Treatments

  • First thinning including logger incentive
  • Pre-commercial thinning
  • Planting longleaf or shortleaf pine
  • Planting loblolly at lower density
  • Prescribed fire

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Multiple Benefits to Prevention Treatments

  • Reduced susceptibility to SPB
  • Increased economic return
  • Reduced fire risk
  • Improved wildlife habitat
  • Improved aesthetics

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Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Cost-Share

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  • Use hazard maps to prioritize treatments
  • Landowner generally pays for 50% of treatment
  • Forester involved in selected stands to treat and post-treatment evaluation
  • Try to thin stands that wouldn’t be thinned otherwise (mostly due to market conditions)

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Logger Incentive Program

  • Pay a logger a flat rate; covers cost of moving equipment to a site
  • Focus on smaller landowners (i.e. < 40 acres; varies by market condition) that may have difficulty enticing a logger to thin their stand
  • Helps support the forestry infrastructure needed for local forest industry

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Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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General Guidelines:

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  1. Maximum cost-share limit per NIPF landowner per Federal fiscal year: $10,000

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2. Prioritize work in moderate to high hazard areas.

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3. Thinning is known to be the preferred practice for reducing a forest stand’s susceptibility to southern pine beetle and will likely constitute the majority of forest management performed.

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4. States will provide one GPS point for each cost-share contract with associated acres treated. data will be provided to Forest Health Protection by the end of the Federal fiscal year (at the same time other reports are due to FHP) along with an annual Accomplishment Report.

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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SPB Hazard Model – 240 meter resolution

SFIWC, Jekyll Island, GA

July 25, 2007

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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SFIWC, Jekyll Island, GA

July 25, 2007

SPB Hazard Jasper, Jones, and Putnam County GA

Recent SPB Spots

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Percent of County*

Rated as High or

Moderate Hazard

*Based on Host Area

Within Each County

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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R8 SPB Prevention Program

Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Forest Service

United States Department of Agriculture