What's eating your forest?

CARLISLE - The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 in the lower conference room of the Cumberland County Extension Office, 1100 Claremont Road.

Zachary Roeder, Service Forester for the PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, will be speaking about insect pests threatening Pennsylvania forests. Information for woodland owners on identification and methods for controlling forests insect pests such as Gypsy Moth, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, Tent Caterpillars, Scale Insects, and Weevils will be presented.

The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.

Invasive insects, plants, and microbes have had and continue to have a significant harmful impact on U.S. forests. It is estimated by the U.S. Forest Service that economic damages caused by nonindigenous species and costs for control and management of these species exceed $137 billion per year. It is estimated that native forest insect pests and diseases also cause losses of approximately 18 percent of forest products (e.g., lumber, pulp) valued at $9.8 billion annually.

Pennsylvania annually surveys approximately 17 million acres of public and private forestlands to determine the impact of forest pests throughout the Commonwealth. Surveys focus not only on current pest threats, but also on pests that have historically caused damage to Pennsylvania's forest resources, as well as invasive threats that are not yet here. As Bureau Service Forester for Cumberland and Franklin County, Zachary Roeder works on a county level to advise residents on sustainable forest management practices.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association (CWOA) is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the association is to provide information, education and an exchange of ideas to its members and others about the methods and benefits of proper forest management.

For information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the Feb. 14 meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net)