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Humans adores trees. But humans also migrate and trade, habits that led to the accidental introduction of insects and diseases that harm trees and alter the landscape. Examples are easy to find and may be outside your front door: American elms that once dotted streets across America succumbed to Dutch elm disease. Now all colors of ash species – black, green, white, pumpkin, and blue – are threatened by emerald ash borer. The already uncommon butternut tree, also known as white walnut, faces the possibility of extinction from a mysterious attacker. Many invasive insects and fungi come from regions where native trees have evolved to resist their attacks. When these species enter the United States, they find trees that lack this resistance. There's no immediate end to this dismal pipeline, but there is hope on the horizon.

Explore this story map to see how you can help combat this damaging citrus disease in Texas. Provides an overview, quarantined areas, and how to report a sick tree.
See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps

Scroll to "Controlling Citrus Disease" section and expand the "State Citrus Contacts"

The documentary video, Defending Favorite Places, was produced on DVD as part of the National Invasive Species Threat Campaign. Linking invasive species management principles with the hunting and angling conservation ethic is critical as invasive species threaten the future of hunting and fishing.

Late spring heralds the start of open water fishing season. For the casual angler, it's easy to take for granted the abundance of fish this time of year. However, many species, especially native fish, can use their help. "There are so many issues affecting the health of fish populations – barriers caused by dams and roads that cross streams fragment fish habitat. Water is diverted out of streams for other uses," said Tina Hopkins, the regional fisheries program manager for the Forest Service’s Intermountain Region. "But perhaps the biggest threat across the country is aquatic invasive species."

Fisheries biologists from around the country have recommended a few ways that anglers, boaters and recreators can do their part to ensure healthy fish stocks for seasons to come. Here is their advice to recreators, in their words:

• "Consult your lawbook, know the rules, and please don’t move fish around."
• "It is extremely important that anglers clean their boats, trailers, waters, and gear when they are done fishing for the day."
• "Every drainage is going to be different, so anglers should be informed about where they are fishing."

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proclaims April 2024 as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. During this month, we are encouraging everyone—whether you’re a gardener or a camper, a bug enthusiast or a student, a traveler, or an online shopper—to learn about the danger of invasive plant pests and what you can do to help. During the month, we are sharing information on curbing the spread of these pests to foster a healthier environment and protect our food supply.
See also: A Proclamation by the Secretary of Agriculture for 2024 Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month [PDF, 189 KB]

Learn simple steps you can take to prevent the spread of invasive species when you recreate outdoors.

Learn how to help stop the spread of invasive plants.

Learn how can do your part and leave hungry pests behind. Damaging pests can hitchhike from place to place on our cars and trucks and hide in fruit, vegetables, plants, firewood, or on common outdoor items. Working together, we can protect America's crops and trees from harm during our travels or outdoor activities. 

The Invasive Mosquito Project is aimed at monitoring invasive container-inhabiting mosquito species across the United States. By doing this monitoring, we can determine where the invasive mosquito species, as well as native species, are distributed across the U.S. and define at-risk human and animal populations based on this distribution. This citizen science project provides students, teachers, and anyone interested the opportunity to collect real data and contribute to a national mosquito species distribution study.

• USDA Wants Citizen-scientists to Help Fight Zika (May 17, 2016)
  The Associated Press; The Denver Post.

Welcome to the What You Can Do page of the USFWS Invasive Species Web Portal. Invasive species is a global problem and everyone can play a part in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species. The goal of this section is to provide information for the general public, via USFWS content and links to existing information, on what they can do for invasive species prevention.

It's the Law -- If you are moving from a spongy moth quarantine area to a non-quarantine area, you must inspect your outdoor household items for the spongy moth and remove all life stages of this destructive insect before you move.
See also: Spongy Moth

Are you a crabber, waterman, or concerned citizen? We need your help to detect and assess the status of Chinese Mitten Crabs. The "Mitten Crab Watch" website provides information on the invasion of the mitten crab and allows users to more easily report catches.

Please help us detect live mitten crabs by reporting any sighting in North America. We are especially interested in collecting sightings from the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Hudson River, and San Francisco Bay --- where the crab has been common in the past. Please visit the Mitten Crab Watch website to learn more about the crab and to report sightings.

People ship and receive packages using express courier companies—like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and others—all the time. But when the package includes an agricultural item, things could get dangerous for U.S agriculture and natural resources.

“You should know what could be hitchhiking in or on those items—invasive plant and animal diseases and pests,” said Dr. Mark Davidson, Deputy Administrator of USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine. “Once these threats enter our country, they could harm our crops, livestock, and ecosystems. Left unchecked, they could devastate entire agricultural industries, eliminating jobs, threatening our food supply, and costing billions of dollars in losses and response costs.”

If you are moving this year from a location within the gypsy moth quarantine area to a location outside the quarantine area, please inspect outdoor household items for pests. This is a federal requirement for homeowners moving from gypsy moth quarantine areas.

By complying with the law, you may also save a forest. Gypsy moths are destructive, invasive pests! European gypsy moth larvae feed on over 300 plant species including oak, aspen and elm. Gypsy moths have defoliated more than 83 million acres in the United States since 1970. About 70% of susceptible forests have never been infested and are at risk.

This section can help you determine what items can be brought into the U.S. Bringing food and other items back from your travels could impact the health and safety of American agriculture and natural resources. For example, travelers cannot bring in most fresh fruits and vegetables because they can carry plant pests or diseases. Just one pest could devastate multiple agricultural industries.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking the public to look for and report the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). APHIS declares every August Tree Check Month and is asking you to look for this destructive, invasive beetle by checking trees on your property and in your community for damage. Left unchecked, the ALB can cause infested trees to die. August is an ideal time of year to look for the beetle and the damage it causes.

Help the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stomp out invasive pests this spring! Challenge your detection prowess: Look for spotted lanternfly and spongy moth egg masses on vehicles, trees, and other outdoor surfaces during the winter and early spring.

See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps