78 



I am hopeful that with progress in ballast technologies, and with the cooperation 

 of shipping and allied industries that have already expressed great concern about 

 exotic invasions, we can very significantly reduce the threat of future invasions of 

 exotic organisms by ballast water. 



PREPARED STATEMENT OF FAITH THOMPSON CAMPBELL, PH.D. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the invitation to testify here today on the impacts 

 of alien or non-indigenous species in the United States. The Natural Resources De- 

 fense Council (NRDC) is a public interest environmental organization of 170,000 

 members and supporters. We have studied and carried out policy advocacy regard- 

 ing efforts to curtail the impacts of alien species since 1987. 



Because of the expertise of some of the other members of this panel, I will focus 

 my statement on losses caused by alien or exotic pests of North American trees. 

 These losses have been significant in monetary, ecological, and aesthetic terms. For 

 a more detailed description of these introduced pests and their impacts, see the at- 

 tached report. Fading Forests. 



It is most important to remember, however, that a comprehensive program could 

 restore many of our tree species — and with them the health of our forests and the 

 beauty of our city streets, parks, and yards. The NRDC thanks the Committee on 

 Governmental Affairs for its leadership on this important but under appreciated 

 issue, and looks forward to working with you to bring about an effective National 

 program to counter all invasive alien organisms. 



TIMBER LOSSES 



About $2 billion in timber revenues has been lost to tree mortality or morbidity 

 caused by alien pests (Pimentel 1986). Trees virtually eliminated as timber supplies 

 include ch-jstnut {Castanea dentata), American elm (Ulmus americana), butternut or 

 white walnut iJuglans cinera), and Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecy parts lawsoniana). 

 In 1989, Port-Orford-cedar brought an average price of over $2,600 per thousand 

 board feet (compared to $530 per thousand board feet for Douglas-fir). The value 

 of POC logs exported 1980-1990 was over $195 million (Warren 1990). 



Expensive pest control, tree improvement breeding, silvicultural controls, and 

 other programs have been needed to maintain harvest levels of red pine Pinus 

 resinosa, white pines (Pinus, subgenus Strobus), and the oaks (Quercus spp.). Penn- 

 sylvania lost $40 million in trees to gJTJsy moth (Lymantria dispar) infestations be- 

 tween 1972 and 1980 (Virginia). 



Potential losses are far higher A risk assessment team estimated impacts of be- 

 tween $25 million and $58 billion to commercial timber in the west if alien pests 

 were to be introduced on logs from Siberia (USDA Forest Service 1991b). A second 

 team put timber losses associated with introductions of pests from New Zealand at 

 between $52 and $364 million (USDA Forest Service 1992). Neither of these esti- 

 mates includes costs associated with loss of jobs, recreational amenities, or ecologi- 

 cal values. 



RECREATION 



Gypsy moth-infested areas experience up to a 20 percent reduction in recreational 

 use (Goebl 1987). The beauty of many of the same woods in the spring is now dimin- 

 ished by the devastating impact of Dogwood anthracnose {Discula destructiva) on 

 the flowering dogwoods iComus florida). Dogwood anthracnose has killed over 80 

 percent of the trees in some areas of its extensive range (U.S. Forest Service 1991a). 

 From Pennsylvania to New England, millions travel to the mountains to view the 

 sugar maples changing to crimson. Defoliation by the pear thrips (Taeniothrips 

 inconsequens) discourages such visits. An estimated $25 billion was spent by Au- 

 tumn tourists in Vermont alone in 1992 (Guertin). 



ORNAMENTALS AND OTHER PRODUCTS 



The American elm was once the primary ornamental tree in eastern and mid- 

 western cities. Within 50 years, Dutch elm disease, caused by an introduced fungus 

 Ophiostoma {= Ceratocystis) ulmi, had killed 75% percent of the elms in the North- 

 east by 1979 (USDA Forest Service 1991b). Cities with large elm populations have 

 suffered more than an aesthetic loss. The removal of dead and dying elms has cost 

 up to an estimated $100 million per year nationwide (Mazzone and Peacock 1985). 



Before the spread of the root disease caused by the fungus Phytophthora lateralis, 

 Port-Orford-cedar was also widely used in ornamental plantings (Kliejunas & 

 Adams, 1981). This use was largely abandoned by 1960 (Roth et al. 1972). Direct 



