With Farm Bill funding provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine, the Washington Invasive Species Council finished a new collaborative project in 2019 to improve response readiness for detections of new urban forest pests.
This work will continue with funding provided by the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, administered through the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program. For the next three years, be on the lookout for seminars, workshops, new planning and response resources, and a statewide summit.
Urban Forest Pest Readiness Playbook
Playbook
The playbook is a tool to prepare communities for potential pest outbreaks through self-assessments and recommended actions. The purpose is to close the gap in readiness and response capabilities between community leaders managing urban forests and state and federal responders.
Online Playbook Resources
The playbook contains different online resources such as a readiness contact list and planning templates. To view locations and contact information of supporting organizations, explore the readiness contact map. If you work for an organization that supports urban forest pest readiness and detection and would like to join our network, please fill out the form below.
Additional Resources
- Insect Specimen Collection Guide
- Plant Specimen Collection Guide
- Readiness Items Tracking Table
- Template Readiness Contact List
- Response Framework
Events and Webinars
Urban and Community Forestry Seminar Series
The council and Washington Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program kicked off its 2020 seminar series in May that will continue into September. The “Urban Forest Pest Readiness” seminar walks participants through the utilization of the Urban Forest Pest Readiness Playbook by engaging attendees in an interactive exercise working through the Playbook’s self-assessment of pest readiness, which asks the question: are you forest pest ready?
Urban Forest Pest Readiness “Office Hours”
To assist communities in becoming more urban forest pest ready, the council and Washington Department of Natural Resources, and other pest ready partners are hosting bi-monthly office hours. During this scheduled time, experts will be available to assist you with questions and offer guidance.
- July 7, 2020
- August 31, 2020
- October 28, 2020
Office hours will be held online using Zoom. Email the Washington Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program to sign up and receive a Zoom invitation.
Recorded Webinar
The council hosted a Webinar on “Improving Statewide Readiness and Response to Washington Forest Pest Risks” on October 29, 2019. The webinar provided an overview of Washington’s new Urban Forest Pest Readiness Playbook.
Questions?
Interested in Getting Notifications and Updates about the Project?
E-mail the Washington Invasive Species Council to get answers and stay involved. Also consider signing up for the Washington Department of Natural Resources Tree-Link Newsletter.