versial and require strong public involvement efforts. Forest 

 health problems overlap ownership boundaries, and coordinated 

 action will be most effective. Constraints on use of appropriations 

 have slowed restoration efforts. Budget support for restoration 

 will be difficult to sustain if the serious tree mortality in the West 

 subsides. 



ACTIONS 



The following actions should be taken to meet forest health 



restoration needs: 



• Include funding needs for restoration in future budget 

 requests. Formulate a long-term restoration budget 

 including establishment of priorities to ensure action 

 is taken to achieve the most good. Outline long-term 

 restoration strategies on which budget estimates 

 would be based, with priorities based on resource 

 condition, management objectives, resource values, 

 and economic efficiency. 



• Seek legislative or administrative relief to allow flexibility 

 in use of appropriations to meet restoration needs. 

 Prepare legislative proposals for consideration. 



Management of 

 Introduced Forest Pests 



GOAL 



Plans and capabilities exist to limit spread or eradi- 

 cate new introductions of exotic forest pests and to 

 minimize ecosystem disruption from pests that have 

 already been introduced or may be introduced in 

 the future. 



RATIONALE 



Large numbers of exotic forest pests have been introduced to 

 North America, and new species continue to arrive. Three new 

 serious exotic forest pests were discovered in the LTnited States 

 in the last 2 years. Additional introductions are likely, and little 

 prior national planning has gone into appropriate survey and 

 eradication strategies for response to introductions of new forest 

 pests. By the time they are discovered, many newly introduced 

 pests have spread too widely for successful eradication (for exam- 



Healthy Forests for America 's Future — A Strategic Plan 35 



