pie, the common European pine shoot beetle had already spread 

 to six States before it was discovered in 1992). Often, technology 

 to respond to exotic pests has not been available, so that extraor- 

 dinary research and technology development efforts are usually 

 necessary for new pests. 



Introduced pests are usually more difficult and expensive to con- 

 trol than native pests because they lack natural enemies. They 

 often are much more damaging here than in their places of 

 origin and they can disrupt ecosystems to such an extent that 

 reversal of the process or restoring the ecosystem to its pre\dous 

 condition may be impossible. 



Pests that are already established continue to require manage- 

 ment efforts. Eradication of isolated infestations of the European 

 gypsy moth and slowing the advancing front saves the long-term 

 costs of suppression and allows forest managers more time to 

 plan appropriate responses. 



ACTIONS 



The following actions will be taken to respond to the threat of 

 introduced forest pests: 



• Provide resource managers with information on the 

 impacts that introduced pests have had on our forest 

 ecosystems. Review the beha\dor and effects of intro- 

 duced pests in our forest ecosystems, and identif)' 

 any appropriate restoration or mitigation measures 

 available for forest managers. 



• Develop a database on introduced pests and look for 

 historical patterns of introductions of pests into the United 

 States. Review the frequency, origin, and pathways 

 for historical introductions to the United States, and 

 subsequent rates of spread through forests in this 

 country for clues to use in developing strategies for 

 response when new introductions occur. In coopera- 

 tion with the USDA Animal and Plant Health 

 Inspection Service (APHIS), use this database to 

 plan responses to new introductions. 



• Work with APHIS to develop a national strategy for 

 response to forest pest introductions. With APHIS, 

 develop a national strategy that outlines approaches 

 and capacities to detect and respond to new intro- 

 ductions. This will involve a review of the most 



36 Strategic Goals and Actions 



