| Avoid planting and maintaining loblolly or shortleaf pine off-site or outside its natural range. Avoid or correct overcrowding (e.g., in forests, basal area > 100 sq. ft. per acre or, in landscapes, mature trees <15 ft. apart from one another).
-in forests, thin stands to <80 sq. ft. of basal area per acre.
-in landscapes, remove trees to provide at least 20 ft. of treeless space around
mature pine stems
Avoid or reduce abundant or excessive competing vegetation (e.g., underbrush, mid-story, hardwood encroachment, demanding turf or pasture).
Remove/harvest and replace/regenerate, overmature, declining, stagnant and/or low vigor trees/stands.
Convert off-site or highly susceptible pine species to more appropriate and resistant species (e.g., longleaf of slash pine).
Rapidly salvage or otherwise sanitize areas seriously damaged or debilitated by disease, fire, storms, mechanical/physical activities, lightning strikes etc.
Avoid disturbances or activities that damage or harm desired pines (e.g., physical wounding, excessive fertilization and/or irrigation, severe fire, changes in grade (fill or excavation), root-raking, soil compaction etc.).
Inform and educate others to adapt and implement the above practices.
Additional Best Management Practices to Minimize or Reduce SPB Impacts:
Periodically to frequently, depending on local levels of SPB activity, survey susceptible pine forests (and trees) for signs and symptoms of beetle activity (e.g., boring dust, pitch tubes, s-shaped galleries in the inner bark, yellowing to reddening tree crowns, clustered pine mortality).
Revisit or monitor susceptible areas which have experienced recent disturbance(s) (e.g., areas affected by thinning, fire, storm, flooding, drought, construction etc.) for incipient SPB activity.
Investigate all suspicious spots, clusters, and/or groups of pine mortality for SPB activity.
Frequently monitor (e.g., bi-weekly) and evaluate small, active infestations, which appear non-threatening and would be difficult or costly to control.
Rapidly control all active infestations posing an immediate threat to valuable resources or other’s property, and those with a high potential for doing so in the future.
During outbreak periods (i.e., numerous, widespread and expanding infestations) prioritize control efforts against those active infestations which threaten adjoining property and high value resources, and/or those which are relatively large (e.g., >10 acres), and/or those which are rapidly expanding or enlarging.
During outbreaks periods, make rapid detection and control of active infestations a high priority.
During outbreaks, avoid partial harvests (e.g., thinning, regeneration cuts, etc.) and other disturbances (e.g., pruning, construction, fire, etc.), which may damage desired trees and attract SPB.
Routinely report any positive or suspicious SPB activity to the local Division of Forestry (DOF) County Forester, and request assistance if necessary.
Inform and educate others to adopt and implement the above practices.
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