Forest and Plant Health
Effective beginning 5/30/2025
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In California, more than 100 million trees have died in California’s national forests due to a combination of climate change, an unprecedented drought, bark beetle infestation and high tree densities. The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station has been working with the Pacific Southwest Region to address the tree mortality issue by using existing science and identifying future research opportunities.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death is a plant disease killing millions of mature ohia trees on Hawaii Island during the last several years, and is a high priority issue for all natural resource and agricultural agencies working in the state.