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Seed banks can provide insight into a forest’s past and give land managers valuable information to help them plan for the forest’s future. For example, knowing which species may germinate after future fires is valuable, especially when nonnative invasive species in the seed bank could proliferate quickly following disturbances.

In this study, researchers analyzed the species composition of buried seeds and extant vegetation present in areas that have faced differing fire conditions over many years on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

Spotted lanternfly is a threat to Maryland and the U.S. The Maryland Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine October 28, 2019 in an effort to contain the invasive species in Cecil and Harford counties after the spotted lanternfly was spotted in Cecil’s northeastern corner and along Harford’s northern border. See additional resources on the Maryland Department of Agriculture's site for Spotted Lanternfly for up-to-date information.

For questions related to the quarantine, permitting, treatment, or to report a sighting of the spotted lanternfly, especially outside of the quarantine zone, call 410-841-5920 or email DontBug.MD@maryland.gov. If you report a spotted lanternfly via email, please provide the location of the sighting and your contact information.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the tricolored bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The species faces extinction due primarily to the range-wide impacts of white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease affecting cave-dwelling bats across the continent.

Bats are essential for healthy ecosystems and contribute at least $3 billion annually to the U.S. agriculture economy through pest control and pollination. The growing extinction crisis highlights the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before declines become irreversible.
See also: Related story (Sep 13, 2020) - How the USFWS and its partners are working to keep this little bat from vanishing forever

ITP is pleased to announce the release of seven new screening aids for important Coleoptera and Lepidoptera pests. These were designed specifically to be used when examining traps or through visual inspection as part of surveys conducted by state cooperators for the APHIS PPQ Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program. CAPS surveys help officials monitor and gather data about pests on high-risk hosts and commodities, including pests that may have been recently introduced to the United States. The new screening aids are for city longhorn beetle, Agrilus of concern, pinecone and bamboo longhorn beetles, tomato fruit borers, coconut rhinoceros beetles, spruce longhorn beetles, and velvet longhorn beetle. All of ITP's CAPS screening aids can be found on the ITP website and on the CAPS Resource and Collaboration site Screening Aids page.

A framework from Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists can help managers decide if, when, and how to use eDNA sampling technology for invasive species monitoring or surveillance.

Citation: Morisette, Jeffrey; Burgiel, Stas; Franklin, Thomas; Wilcox, Taylor. 2022. Shedding light on shedded cells: Using eDNA sampling for surveillance of invasive species. Connected Science. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

The National Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System is an emerging online resource for invasive species information sharing and collaboration that serves as the information hub of the National EDRR Framework. This centralized network will improve access to existing and emerging information resources and expand collaboration to facilitate early detection and rapid response to biological threats across the nation. 
See also: SIREN: National Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System (News Release, Apr 19, 2024)

The spongy moth, (Lymantria dispar), formerly known as the "gypsy moth," continues to spread throughout North America, threatening deciduous trees and impacting humans. This non-native, foliage-feeding insect currently occupies only about one-third of its possible host distribution in the United States. Efforts to reduce its impact and spread represent one of the largest and most successful federal and state agency integrated pest management programs against a forest pest.

This new General Technical Report (GTR), published by the Northern Research Station, synthesizes information about the Slow the Spread Program, its accomplishments, and provides a framework for future landscape-level integrated pest management.
See related resource: National Slow The Spread (STS) Program

Citation: Coleman, Tom W.; Liebhold, Andrew M., eds. 2023. Slow the spread: a 20-year reflection on the national Lymantria dispar integrated pest management program. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-212. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 130 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-212.

The mission of PPQ's Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) Program is to detect and prevent the unlawful entry and distribution of prohibited and/or non-compliant products that may harbor exotic plant and animal pests, disease or invasive species. SITC officers work across the country to carry out this mission, checking wholesale markets, distribution points, retail stores, restaurants, and the internet to look for restricted or prohibited agricultural commodities. SITC also partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies in anti-smuggling efforts at air, land, and sea ports of entry nationwide.

If you think something was illegally imported —even if unintentionally—report it at 1-800-877-3835 or sitc.mail@usda.gov. All submissions are kept anonymous. Your information will not be shared publicly.

The Idaho Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has confirmed the presence of quagga mussel in the Mid-Snake River. Quagga mussel larvae was first detected in the Snake River near Twin Falls on September 18, 2023, by routine monitoring conducted by the ISDA. If nothing were done, quagga mussels would quickly take over waterways. They would irreparably harm water use in Idaho. These findings mark the first time a rapid response plan has been put into action for quagga mussels in Idaho.
 

U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1251; Researched and funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Thousands of pigs in China have been dying since August 2018. The cause is a virus that infects a pig’s macrophages, a type of white blood cell that acts as a warrior against disease-causing invaders. This viral disease, called African swine fever, can wreak havoc in a pig’s body causing internal bleeding and resulting in almost 100 percent mortality of the infected pigs. Because African swine fever is highly contagious and deadly to pigs, economies and the food supply are being affected around the world.

African swine fever has been on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) radar for several years. S&T intensified vaccine research efforts in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in November 2018. The African Swine Fever Task Force was born, based out of S&T’s Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC).

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the Aquatic Plant Management Council is responsible for the management of nuisance aquatic vegetation in public waters. Each year an Aquatic Plant Management Plan is developed which identifies aquatic weed problem areas, describes management objectives, prescribes management strategies, and determines funding needs and sources.

The mission of the Clemson University IPM program is to develop interdisciplinary, research based information, and provide it to the public in efficient and accessible formats. The goals of the IPM program are driven by the needs of stakeholders, who have an integral part in developing the priorities of the program.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) is seeking comments on the draft "Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Strategic Plan." All individuals interested in AIS management in South Dakota have from now through December 31, 2022, to provide suggestions and comments on the revised plan in its current form. The draft AIS strategic plan can be found online at: https://gfp.sd.gov/management-plans/.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks partners with the South Dakota B.A.S.S. Federation and private car washes to provide a list of boat wash locations that have lit, pull-though bays for easy access. Hot water may not be available at these boat washes. If your vessel has been moored in containment waters for 3 or more days or if AIS are attached, your boat must be decontaminated with hot water.

The Local Boat Registry (LBR) was developed by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks to assist watercraft operators with compliance of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) possession and transportation regulations and to help slow the spread of AIS from "containment waters" to other waterbodies.

The Southeast (SE) Bat Hub was created in summer 2022 to coordinate North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABAT) survey projects in the Southeastern states. The Hub provides services, updates, and content to assist the NABat efforts across the region.

Since 2006, white-nose syndrome (a fungal disease) has been infecting bat populations across the U.S. This disease has killed some species of bats, such as the tricolored bat and northern long-eared bats at alarming rates.
See also: The Southeast Bat Hub Coordinates NABat Monitoring Efforts in the Southeast (U.S. Forest Service, CompassLive - Dec 12, 2023)

The Southeast Early Detection Network (SEEDN) app brings the power of Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) to your smartphone. Now you can submit invasive species observations directly with your smartphone from the field. These reports are uploaded to EDDMapS and e-mailed directly to local and state verifiers for review. SEEDN is more than just a smartphone app; it is an integrated invasive species reporting and outreach campaign for the Southeastern United States that includes the app and the EDDMapS website.