The 2024 Continental Dialogue on Non-native Forest Insects and Diseases was held on October 2nd through 4th 2024, in association with the 2024 North American Invasive Species Management Association annual conference in Missoula, MT.

2024 Continental Dialogue Archive of In-Person Meeting Materials:

• Field Trip Document only: Whitebark Pine & Ecosystem Resilience Oct 2 2024
• Detailed Full Agenda: Continental Dialogue Agenda 2024 

October 3rd – Continental Dialogue Presentation Track – Thursday

9:35am – 10:35am Concurrent 6e – National Perspectives on Forest Pests and Pathogens

• Welcome and Introduction to Continental Dialogue – Leigh Greenwood, The Nature Conservancy 
• National Perspectives on Forest Health and Invasive Species – Anne Buckelew, US Forest Service 
• National Plant Board, Forest Pest and Pathogen Updates and Concerns – Chris Benemann, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
• National Association of State Foresters, Forest Pest Priorities – Bob Simpson, National Association of State Foresters 

10:50am – 11:50am Concurrent 7e – Forest Pest Risk Reduction in Wood Packaging Material

• Report out on North American Plant Protection Organization’s Expert Group on Wood Packaging Material Risk; what have we learned so far? Leigh Greenwood, The Nature Conservancy
• Advancements in USDA APHIS data collection and knowledge transfer on wood packaging material and solid wood pests. Joint presentation by Jon Daniels, US Dept. of Agriculture and Jacob McDowell, Customs and Border Protection 
• Think international heat treatment for Solid Wood Packing material was meant to eliminate wood attacking pests? Think again. Josh Vlach, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

1:30pm – 2:30pm Concurrent 8e – Pest and Pathogen Resilient Tree Breeding

• Western North America and Pacific Island Perspectives on Pest and Pathogen Resilient Tree Improvement. Richard Sniezko, US Forest Service 
• Eastern North America Perspectives on Pest and Pathogen Resilient Tree Improvement.
  Dave Carey, US Forest Service 
• Partnerships in Eastern Forest Tree Improvement Breeding. Dani Sandell, The Nature Conservancy

2:30pm – 3:30pm Concurrent 9e – Active Management of Forest Pest Challenges

• Advancing Invasive Species Action in Ontario Forests with Collaborative Programs and Community Science. Mackenzie DiGasparro, Invasive Species Centre
• Drop-And-Leave: Implementing Alternative Management Strategies for Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication. Dave Coyle, Clemson University
• Emerald ash borer in Oregon: Updates, Management, and the Year Ahead. Chris Benemann, Oregon Department of Agriculture

3:45pm – 4:45pm Concurrent 10e – Forest Pest Early Detection and Rapid Response 

• Catching invasives with curiosity: the importance of passive surveillance systems for invasive forest pest detection. Dave Coyle, Clemson University
• The National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework as a Complement to USDA Pest Programs. Angela McMellen Brannigan, National Invasive Species Council
  (speaker) and Hilary Smith, Department of the Interior (co-author)
• Perspectives on Integrating the Federal Invasive Species Advisory Committee into the DOI’s National Early Detection, Rapid Response Framework. Leah Elwell, Conservation Collaborations 

October 4th – Continental Dialogue Workshop – Friday 

8:30 – 9:45 Continental Dialogue Workshop – Introductory Presentations

• Firewood Pathway as Secondary Spread Case Study. Laurel Downs, The Nature Conservancy 
• Building the Big Picture Case: How to consider secondary spread in a wider world. Phil Andreozzi, USDA Invasive Species Coordinator
• Secondary Spread Pre-Work Survey on Pathways and the Future. Leigh Greenwood, The Nature Conservancy
• Secondary Spread, Verbal Presentation. Deah Lieurance, Pennsylvania State University
  • Supporting documentation:
    • Guidance for interpretation of Convention on Biological Diversity categories on introduction pathways (see Page 7)
    • Reed et al 2023 The state of play in invasive species policy: Insights from invasive species laws and regulations in 21 US states
    • Faulkner et al 2024 Harder, better, faster, stronger? Dispersal in the Anthropocene