Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Natural Areas: forestry (conifer), forestry (hardwood)

Target Pests

Practices

• Pest Management: chemical control, cultural control, mechanical control, pesticides, weed ecology

• Crop Production: forestry

• Natural Resources/Environment: drift/runoff buffers

The Pacific Northwest commercial forestry industry is a cornerstone of the U.S. wood products economy, producing one-quarter of the nation’s softwood lumber and more than one-third of its plywood supply. Across Oregon and Washington, carefully regulated, privately owned forests supply the plurality of harvested timber. These systems rely on practices that ensure forest regeneration and growth while simultaneously protecting watersheds and safeguarding habitat. Weed management during reforestation is the primary pest management activity in these systems, and herbicides continue to serve as essential tools for successful tree establishment, which is required by state law.

This project will develop an Integrated Pest Management Strategic Plan (IPMSP) for commercial forestry in Oregon and Washington. The IPMSP will document current pest pressures and current practices and management strategies, as well as regulatory constraints and emerging challenges identified by industry stakeholders. We will also capture management practices that provide ecological protections and mitigations in order to inform regulatory decisions related to new Endangered Species Act measures proposed by EPA. By providing a structured, stakeholder-driven assessment of pest management, forest health considerations, and long-term management cycles unique to forestry, this project will deliver a resource that improves regulatory understanding, strengthens science-based policy decisions, and supports the adoption of integrated, environmentally responsible forest management practices.

This project will convene a workgroup of professional foresters, researchers, regulators, and organizational representatives, to provide expert knowledge and guide the development of the IPMSP. Together, the workgroup will develop an Integrated Pest Management Strategic Plan (IPMSP) for commercial forests in Oregon and Washington. The process will document current weed management practices as well as other relevant ecological mitigation strategies. It will identify key regulatory frameworks and highlight existing and emerging pest management challenges. The final, consensus-driven IPMSP will be published on the National IPM Database and used by USDA, EPA, researchers, and forestry stakeholders to inform regulatory decisions, guide research investments, and support improved adoption of IPM strategies.