Quite a manifesto. In this context "forest health pest" evidently refers to any organism (from fungi to bears) regardless of origin, as long as it somehow diminishes the potential economic value of timber or timber products in the region. It isn't about "forest health" in any ecological sense; which is good, because "forest health" isn't an ecological conception. "Pest" status has never connoted alienness or been excused by nativeness. For example, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services annually kills many tens of thousands of coyotes and perhaps millions of Icterid birds, nativeness notwithstanding. See http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/operational_program.shtml
Matthew K Chew Assistant Research Professor Arizona State University School of Life Sciences ASU Center for Biology & Society PO Box 873301 Tempe, AZ 85287-3301 USA Tel 480.965.8422 Fax 480.965.8330 [email protected] or [email protected] http://cbs.asu.edu/people/profiles/chew.php http://asu.academia.edu/MattChew
