2000 Forest Health Highlights

Arkansas

The Arkansas Forestry Commission provides forest health protection assistance to state and private land managers within the State. The State and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection unit fund this program cooperatively.

Arkansas Forest Facts

Over 50% of Arkansas is forested (more than 18.3 million acres).

Over 90% of forested acreage in Arkansas is privately owned.

The Ouachita and Ozark–St. Francis National Forests (2.3 million acres) provide recreational and wildlife benefits as well as forest products and jobs for thousands of people.

In 2000, red oak decline and mortality continue to be severe on thousands of acres in north and central Arkansas, following a second year of intense drought. Red oak borers, Armillaria root rot, and Hypoxylon canker were associated with the mortality. Red oak borer populations are historically high with hundreds of attacks on most red oaks. Adult borers will emerge this summer in very large, probably unprecedented numbers.

Southern pine beetle (SPB) is Arkansas’ most important forest pest. However, SPB populations were undetectable during 2000. A significant outbreak has not affected the state since 1995-96. The outlook for 2001 is for low population levels to continue.

An isolated gypsy moth infestation was identified in north central Arkansas in 1992. A cooperative gypsy moth eradication project involved participation by the Arkansas State Plant Board, Arkansas Forestry Commission, and USDA Forest Service. Over 43,000 acres were treated with aerial applications of a biological insecticide and after three years of post-treatment trapping, it now appears that the infestation has been successfully eradicated. Delimiting trapping continues in Carroll, Marion, and Newton counties to ensure any resurgence is detected. Six moths were caught in 2000 in Newton County. Trapping will continue in 2001 but no treatments are planned.

In 2001, the Arkansas Forestry Commission in cooperation with USDA Forest Service Research and Forest Health Protection will participate in the Forest Health Monitoring Program. This program is designed to annually collect, analyze, interpret and report on the conditions of the forests in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission and USDA Forest Service

In spite of the relatively good health of Arkansas’ forests, a variety of insects and diseases (both native and introduced), and human-caused impacts such as air pollution, continue to threaten the State’s resources. To deal with this constantly changing mix of challenges, the Arkansas Forestry Commission and the Forest Health Protection unit of the USDA Forest Service cooperate to prevent, detect, suppress and manage this multitude of threats. The partnership between the two agencies has worked for three decades to maintain and improve the health of Arkansas’ forests.

Forest Health Protection contributions (dollars) to Arkansas Forestry Commission Cooperative Forest Health program, cooperative pest suppression/eradication projects, and Ouachita National Forest suppression projects, 1998-2001.
		1998	1999	2000	2001
Cooperative Forest Health Program		71,800	71,800	71,800	64,434
Forest Health Monitoring		0	0	62,300	130,000
Cooperative suppression	Southern pine beetle	0	0	0	0
	Gypsy moth eradication	50,000	20,000	20,000	20,000
Ouachita National Forest	Southern pine beetle	55,000	25,000	10,000	10,000

For additional information, contact:

Arkansas Forestry Commission
3821 W Roosevelt Road
Little Rock, AR 72204

(or)

USDA Forest Service
Forest Health Protection
2500 Shreveport Highway
Pineville, LA 71360

Forest Health Highlights - 2000

Arkansas

Arkansas Forest Facts

The Arkansas Forestry Commission and USDA Forest Service