Pest risks associated with importing wood to the United States1

Increasing world trade in unmanufactured wood articles has amplified the risks of inadvertent introduction of pests into new environments. Previous introductions of non-native invasive organisms into the United States have resulted in severe outbreaks with economic and ecological disruption in forests. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service have developed a pest risk assessment process that attempts to identify the risks associated with importation of unmanufactured wood articles. Assessments have been completed for importation into the United States of logs from Russia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South America. The results of these assessments are considered in developing regulatory approaches to preventing introductions of non-native invasive organisms.