Our Mission is to serve the citizens of Maryland
by protecting the rural and urban forest tree resources from adverse effects of
insects, diseases and other pests through environmentally sound pest
management.
With over
one third of Maryland’s land area covered by forest the goal of the Forest Pest Management Section is to protect high
value forest and landscape trees in urban and rural areas from losses due to
insects and disease.
There are
several forest pests, present and on the horizon, that pose a significant
threat to Maryland’s forest resources.
These pests are monitored through the Cooperative Forest Health Program involving the U.S. Forest Service,
MD Department of Agriculture and MD Department of Natural Resources. The main objective of this program is the
initial detection, identification and evaluation of spread and potential damage
and loss caused by both native and invasive forest pests. This is accomplished through a variety of
trapping and field surveys including following up on reports from forest
owners, managers or forest visitors.
Once identified the Forest Pest Management Section works with State and
Private Forest owners and managers to recommend and help implement best pest
management practices to eradicate or suppress the pests or manage their
resources to minimize loss. Currently we
are monitoring for such pests as Southern Pine Beetle, Sirex woodwasp and
Walnut Twig Beetle the vector of Thousand Canker Disease in walnut.
Forest Pest
Management also conducts and oversees several statewide pest suppression
projects. The gypsy moth, a significant
hardwood defoliator, is suppressed through a cooperative aerial spray project
involving Federal, State and Local funding.
See the gypsy moth page for details on this program. The Hemlock Woolly, a damaging pest of
hemlock, is suppressed through the use of systemic insecticides involving Federal
and State funding. See the HWA page for
details on this pest.
Field activities
are conducted from our four regional field office in Forest Hill, Cumberland,
Easton and Frederick.
To find out
more, call Forest Pest Management at 410-841-5922 or follow the links on this
page.