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Pitch Canker Action Plan 

Management, Research and Educational Priorities
To Slow the Spread of Pine Pitch Canker in California

approved November 1995, Pine Pitch Canker Task Force

| Members | Actions Needed to limit the Spread of Pine Pitch Canker in California |
| Management Priorities | Research Priorities | Education and Media Relations Priorities | Budgets |

Members

Donald Owen, Chair and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Gary Kelly, Co-chair and City of Carmel by-the-Sea
David Adams, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Sharon Clark, Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's Office
Karen Ferlito, Monterey Pine Forest Watch
Susan Frankel, USDA Forest Service, Region 5
Kenneth Gray, California Department of Parks and Recreation
Deborah Hillyard, California Department of Fish and Game
Rick Hawley, Greenspace, The Cambria Land Trust
Richard Little, San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture
Eric Love, Pebble Beach Company
James Marshall, California Association of Nurserymen
Sam Minturn, California Christmas Tree Growers Association
Stephen Staub, Del Monte Forest Foundation and Society of American Foresters
Butch Washington, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
David Wood, University of California at Berkeley

In cooperation with other concerned groups and individuals

Actions Needed to Limit the Spread of Pine Pitch Canker in California

In this document, the Pine Pitch Canker Task Force identifies management, research and educational priorities to limit the spread of pine pitch canker in California. A brief summary of the status of pitch canker in California is provided for background.

Status of Pitch Canker in California

Pitch canker is a recently introduced fungal disease of Monterey, Bishop and other native and ornamental pines. The disease was first reported in California in 1986 in Santa Cruz and southern Alameda Counties. Currently, it is found in 15 coastal and adjacent inland countries from Mendocino to San Diego. All three native Monterey pine stands in California are infested. Pitch canker also occurs in the southeastern United States, Haiti, Mexico, South Africa and Japan.

Native insects (twig, cone and bark beetles) can become contaminated with the fungus and serve as vectors of the pathogen. The disease causes branch dieback and many trees are killed a few years after infection.

In infested areas, native stands and ornamental plantings of Monterey pine are severely threatened. There also is concern that other native pines in the Coast and Cascade Ranges and the Sierra Nevada may be at risk. The insect vectors that attack Monterey pine on the coast also attack tree species found in California's mixed-conifer forests. Long-distance spread of pitch canker can occur through the transport of infected trees or tree parts and the use of contaminated tools. Seeds from infected trees can give rise to infected seedlings which may initially appear disease-free but later develop disease symptoms.

Management Priorities

Management activities should be aimed at slowing disease spread. Numerous factors support this conclusion:

• there is no cure or effective preventative for the disease
• eradication is not a viable option
• circumstantial evidence implicates humans as the primary agents of long distance spread; biologies of the disease and its insect vectors favor local rather than long distance spread
• Monterey pine is highly susceptible; it is planted statewide in milder, mostly urban settings and as such represents a substantial resource at risk, as well as a bridge to potentially susceptible native forests
• eight other native pines and Douglas-fir are known to be susceptible; although we do not know what the impacts will be for these other trees species, they represent a substantial resource at risk
• proper recognition, handling and disposal of diseased material will help prevent the establishment of new infestations, as well as reduce local spread and intensification.

Recommended Actions:

1) Prevent transportation of infected plant material from infested areas to uninfested areas. Infected material can include: nursery stock, Christmas trees, firewood, logs, chips, foliage, cones and seeds.

Regulatory actions should be considered, such as:

a) inspections of nurseries and Christmas tree farms
b) requirements to debark logs before transport from infested areas
c) development of downed-wood management programs which would accompany tree-removal permits administered by counties, cities and other agencies;
d) prohibition on the movement of seed from infested areas to uninfested areas.

A benefit/cost analysis needs to be conducted to determine which regulatory options are viable. Regulatory actions are unlikely to be adopted without such an analysis due to concerns about financial impacts on affected businesses.

Educational activities are an important component of this action plan and overall Task Force efforts, and are discussed separately later in this document.

2) Establish permanent monitoring plots and develop a Geographical Information System (GIS) database to assess the present and future distribution and impacts of pitch canker in California. This information would be useful for local and statewide planning efforts, in the evaluation of control efforts, and provide insight into factors influencing disease spread.

3) Incorporate what is known about pitch canker into landscape, resource management and conservation plans that are or will be developed for native Monterey pine stands and other coastal forest stands.

4) Use local, native seed when regenerating Monterey pine within native stands. Trees which exhibit resistance to pitch canker are preferred seed sources.

Research Priorities

After considering numerous proposals and ideas submitted by Task Force members, the Task Force identified and ranked eight high priority areas of research. These are listed below. More detailed information and additional research proposals are in the report "Pitch Canker Research: Research Priorities approved by the Pine Pitch Canker Task Force, Dr. Donald Owen, Chairman, July 18, 1995," which is available from the task force upon request.

1. Survival in host tissues. Determine the survival of the pitch canker fungus and its potential insect vectors in chips, dead and live branches, on seed, etc. This information is needed to develop sound recommendations for the removal and disposal of infected and insect-infested material.

2. Incidence of Pitch Canker in California. Determine the extent and monitor the spread of pitch canker in California. A survey and plot system is needed to assess the threat of pitch canker to native pine forests and detect new introductions of the pathogen.

3. Impact and incidence in native Monterey pine forests. Establish permanent plots in the native Monterey pine forest of California to assess the impact of pitch canker on this unique and limited ecosystem. These plots would examine the impact of pitch canker on the genetic diversity of these native forests.

4. Disease Resistance. Determine the levels of resistance in native Monterey pine stands to the pitch canker pathogen and its various strains. This research will help predict the impact of the disease on native Monterey pine forests and provide resistant genotypes for future planting both in ornamental and native forests.

The following four research areas were given equal rank. Collectively they are considered "fifth priority".

5A. Seed Transmission. Determine if seed transmission of pitch canker occurs for native conifers other than Monterey pine and investigate methods of preventing seed transmission. Seed transmission is a potentially important means of disease spread. Also, disease-free seed may provide a means for preserving the genetic traits of trees lost to pitch canker.

5B. Potential Spread. Evaluate the potential for pitch canker to spread beyond its current distribution and impact native mixed-conifer forests. To devise effective strategies for limiting the spread of pitch canker, it is necessary to understand this potential.

5C. Economic Impacts. Evaluate the current and potential economic impacts of pitch canker in California. The cost of controlling pitch canker needs to be weighed against foreseeable impacts to the environment and society.

5D. Inheritance of disease resistance. Investigate the inheritance of disease resistance in Monterey pine. Although some Monterey pines appear to be resistant to pitch canker, we do not know the nature of this resistance or how it can be best utilized to protect the resource.

Education and Media Relations Priorities

Objectives

In order to raise financial and general support for pine pitch canker management and research activities, various segments of society need to be kept informed about pine pitch canker's importance.

1. Increase the general public's awareness of Pine Pitch Canker, its importance, current status, potential impacts, biology, etc.
2. Provide management guidelines, disease distribution and research updates, and recognition aids to urban and rural foresters, arborists, nurserymen, Christmas tree growers, and other professionals.
3. Provide information on Pitch Canker's importance to city, county, state and federal representatives and officials.

Action items to achieve above the objectives:

A. Database and representative relay system
A database is being compiled that includes the addresses, FAX numbers, brief descriptions of interests, etc. of the general public, natural resource professionals, media contacts and lobbyists. The database will be used for targeted mailings and personal contacts.

To disseminate information on pine pitch canker, a reliable representative for each infested county will be enlisted as a conduit for information. He or she will fine-tune the mailing and media notification list to distribute information provided by the task force.

B. Educational Materials
Pine pitch canker newspaper and magazine articles, videos, press releases, posters, etc. will be developed as needed.

Currently available items:

1. A bibliography of existing brochures, research updates and other pitch canker literature is being maintained.
2. Pine Pitch Canker Poster - provides a general overview of disease impacts, distribution, history, identification, etc.; freestanding table-top display put together in 1995.
3. Three-dimensional general display on pitch canker put together by the Pacific Grove Natural History Museum.
4. Publications for general distribution:

Pine Pitch Canker - A Threat to California Pines. D.Adams, D.Owen and J.Marshall. June 1995. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. A tri-fold color brochure emphasizing recognition and control.

Current Status of Pitch Canker Disease in California. P.Dallara, A.Storer, T.Gordon and D.Wood. July 1995. A four page technical note covering various topics, including distribution, symptoms, and management

Educational Activities:
Seminar. Co-host a seminar with Monterey Pine Forest Watch (MPFW) on September 20, 1996 in Monterey, CA. MPFW is putting together a half day program featuring the third phase of the Monterey Pine Forest study by Jones and Stokes. The study focuses on conservation and management of existing stands. The task force will put together the remainder of the program which might include research updates, disposal guidelines, etc.

Traveling presentations. Talks or poster presentations will be made at conferences, meetings and County Fairs to arborists, nurseryman, Xmas tree growers, city foresters, environmentalists and other interested groups.

D. Media Relations
Prepare press releases covering how to recognize pine pitch canker, guidelines for home/landowners with Monterey pine trees on their property, Christmas tree disposal guidelines, etc. Distribute to local newspaper, t.v., radio stations and other interested parties.

E. Provide information to legislators.
Bill Tracking. Track relevant bills and draft bill analyses in support of sound pitch canker management, forest management and conservation efforts. If bills are detrimental to limiting the spread of pine pitch canker then analysis will be put together recommending opposition to the bill.

Education. Prepare briefing papers, field trips and other educational materials for legislators. A Legislative Handbook and Press Release Kit has been prepared, including: maps of California Senate, Assembly and U.S. Congressional Districts; lists of California Senators, Assemblymen and Senate standing committees, and U.S. Congressional Representatives; guidelines for bill tracking, sample action alerts and press releases.

Future Activities
School Programs. Programs on conservation of native Monterey pine forests and pine pitch canker's role in the ecosystem will be put together and presented to school children and young adults.

Budgets

Pitch Canker Management Actions and Budget

Budget for Educational Activities - Media Relations

Pitch Canker Research Priorities and Budget

* Partial funding pending / All dollar values exclude University overheads

Last edited November 04, 2001

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