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The Mississippi 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.
Over 60% of Mississippi is forested (more than 18.5 million acres).
Nearly 90% of forested acreage in Mississippi is privately owned.
The National Forests in Mississippi (1.1 million acres) provide recreational and wildlife benefits as well as forest products and jobs for thousands of people.
The southern pine beetle (SPB) is Mississippi's most important forest insect pest. In 1995 a major outbreak occurred, over 11,000 spots were detected on state, private and federal forestlands in 26 epidemic counties affecting over 2.5 million forested acres. Cooperative activities carried out on these lands materially contributed to the SPB population collapse in 1996. Since that time SPB populations have remained moderate to low. In 2001 low levels of SPB activity continued with 79 spots detected, and no counties were considered to be epidemic.
Surveying for the gypsy moth continues throughout the state. No moths were captured in 2001.
Concern over pine tip moth damage over large acreage (5,450) was reported in Grenada and Holmes Counties.
Sawfly damage to pines continued at relatively low levels. The largest area of damage reported was 60 acres defoliated by the black-headed sawfly.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission and Mississippi State University are continuing to working with forest industry to develop integrated pest management practices for cottonwood plantations in the Delta section of the state.
In spite of the relatively good health of Mississippi’s 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi’s forests.
|
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cooperative Forest Health Program |
71,148 |
71,148 |
63,849 |
87,658 |
|
Cooperative suppression - southern pine beetle |
0 |
0 |
100,000 |
0 |
|
National Forests in Mississippi - southern pine beetle |
100,000 |
90,000 |
50,000 |
125,000 |
For additional information, contact:
Mississippi Forestry
Commission
301 N Lamar Street
Suite 300
Jackson, MS 39201
or
USDA Forest Service
Forest Health Protection
2500 Shreveport Highway
Pineville, LA 71360
Phone: (318) 473-7286
E-mail: sstanley@fs.fed.us
Internet: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth
