Why do we need a plan?

Pine forests in the southern U.S. provide invaluable economic and ecological benefits to the region and U.S. To protect and sustain these native pine forests, a diverse group of personnel and agencies co-developed the Pine Pandemic Preparedness Plan (P4) to be proactive by providing guidelines for forest professionals to be better prepared for a threat by a non-native and high-impact pest or disease species on the southern pines.

What is the plan?

The P4 recommends the main steps necessary to curtail a new invasive threat immediately, with minimal impacts to forests and the environment. This may facilitate the most efficient use of diverse resources to effectively manage pests and diseases in the long-term. We envision this document as a flexible guide based on the situation, easy-to-use by anyone with a stake in sustainable forestry. The four central components of the P4 are: 1) Communication; 2) Detection and diagnosis; 3) Delimitation and assessment; and 4) Response. Each of these actionable and strategic components are consecutive and linked to each other to maximize communication, collaboration, and use of new and existing resources and entities to tackle a new invasive species, and serve as a complement to a state or federal emergency response. As P4 is currently a guideline, implementation of this plan will involve teams integrating and generating information for dissemination to stakeholders and use in timely responses to protect southern pine resources from new pests and diseases.

Who created the plan?

Facilitators

Kamal J.K. Gandhi (University of Georgia)
Kier D. Klepzig (Jones Center at Ichauway)

Core Committee Members

Jeff Dean (Mississippi State University)
Ed Hunter (USDA Forest Service)
Andrew (Sandy) Liebhold (USDA Forest Service)
Wib Owen (Southern Group of State Foresters)
Tom Trembath (Forest Investment Associates)

Task Force Members

Damian Adams (University of Florida)
Chris Asaro (USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection)
Chandler Barton (Arkansas Department of Agriculture)
Rachel Cook (North Carolina State University)
David Coyle (Clemson University)
Jeff Eickwort (Florida Forestry Commission)
Shane Harrington (Texas Forest Service)
Frank Koch (USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station)
Holly Munro (NCASI, Inc.)
Dana Nelson (USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station)
Rabiu Olatinwo (USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station)
John Pait (ArborGen)
Scott Pfister (USDA APHIS)
Jim Rakestraw (International Paper)
Erik Shilling (NCASI, Inc.)
Richard Sniezko (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region)
Robert Venette (USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station)

How can YOU be involved?

1. Take our survey about the P4.

Take Survey

2. Use the plan and the contacts provided to report unusual or new pests or pathogens.

View Plan

3. Share this site and our products with others.