Tricia Bethke

Engaging the Public in Forest Health: Lessons from the Illinois Forest Pest Outreach Program

Public awareness and engagement are vital for early detection and management of invasive forest pests — yet inspiring people to care can be a challenge. In this session, Tricia Bethke will share insights from the Illinois Forest Pest Outreach Program, exploring its effectiveness, outcomes, and ongoing challenges. Learn how effective communication, strategic partnerships, and community collaboration can strengthen forest health efforts and foster lasting public support. 

Tricia Bethke is the Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator and Plant Health Care Specialist at The Morton Arboretum, leading efforts to protect trees through pest detection, tree identification, and public education. 

tbethke@mortonarb.org

Ksenia Onufrieva 

Droplets Matter: Droplet Size Distribution Drives the Efficacy and Longevity of SPLAT® GM-Organic

SPLAT® GM-Organic, a controlled-release pheromone formulation, has been used since 2008 in spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) management programs. A decline in treatment performance observed in 2018 raised concerns about changes in droplet characteristics affecting pheromone release and longevity. To investigate, we tested three formulations (2018, 2020, 2021) for field efficacy and analyzed their droplet size distributions. Formulations with higher proportions of large and ultra-large droplets achieved stronger and longer-lasting mating disruption, while those dominated by smaller droplets performed poorly. These findings underscore the importance of droplet size distribution in formulation design and highlight opportunities to improve consistency and reliability of pheromone-based pest control.

Ksenia Onufrieva holds an M.S. from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, USA. She is currently a Research Scientist at Virginia Tech, where she works on optimizing spongy moth management within the National Slow the Spread Program. Her research centers on chemical ecology and supports ecological strategies for managing invasive species and promoting forest health.

ksenia@vt.edu

Albert Schiffer 

Contractor Logistics: How Al's Aerial Spraying keeps the spongy moth mating disruption spary program running smooth as silk

Al Schiffer is a partner in Al's Aerial Spraying, LLC  in Ovid, Michigan

Graduated from Purdue University in 1975 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.  Worked for Cessna after college for one and one half years as a flight test engineer on the single engine aircraft, mostly the ag series aircraft.

Starting spraying in 1973 as a summer job.Started an aerial application business in 1978 in Michigan.My brother Mike joined me a few years later. We do various forestry government and private forestry spraying contracts in states ranging from North Carolina to Arkansas to Oregon and Washington state to  Minnesota to New York and most states in between.

We also treat regular crops in Michigan and the surrounding states

Al400@aol.com

Michael Falk 

Using Field Maps to Support Treatment Operations in Wisconsin

Spongy moth treatment operations require a complex network of information sharing among program personnel. Over the last three years, Wisconsin has adopted the use of ArcGIS Field Maps for communicating essential information about phenology, spray day weather, and treatment logistics. This presentation will provide an overview of this system and offer practical takeaways for streamlining treatment communications.

Michael has been working with spongy moth in Wisconsin since 2014. He currently serves as the Forest Pest Survey and Control Unit Supervisor for Wisconsin DATCP, in which he oversees early detection and rapid response efforts for nonnative forest insect pests, including the Spongy Moth Slow the Spread Program.

michael.falk@wisconsin.gov

Heather Disque 

State Program Suppression Panel

Maryland's Suppression Program is based upon land use value/human resident population density (40%), spongy moth population density (50%), and habitat susceptibility to spongy moth (10%). There is a cost-share with County Governments for county and private lands. Generally proposed suppression areas have >250 egg masses per acre, >50% favored host trees, and high human value.

After graduating with her MS from Towson University, Heather began her career with the Delaware Department of Agriculture as an Entomologist. She transferred to the Maryland Department of Agriculture as a Regional Entomologist in 2013. Since then she became the Forest Health Entomologist for Forest Pest Management and is the Spongy moth Suppression Program Coordinator.

heather.disque@maryland.gov

Jim ALtemus

Out of Sync or Right on Time? Spongy Moths and Oak Phenology

Optimal spray timing, distinctions among caterpillar instars, and the consequences of mismatched leaf and larval development are among the topics Jim will discuss in his presentation on leaf and larval development.

Jim Altemus currently serves as the National Lymantria Management Board’s Aerial Application Safety Committee Chair. He is a Forest Health Program Specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Forestry. Jim has been a part of the Division of Forest Health since 2015, following his work as a forester in the Inventory and Monitoring Section from 2014 to 2015. In addition to his key role in Pennsylvania’s Spongy Moth Suppression Program, Jim also serves as the statewide coordinator for the Commonwealth’s Aerial Survey Program.

jamaltemus@pa.gov

Sonia Bruck 

Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Slow the Spread Program: An update through 2045

Spongy moth [Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)], formerly known as gypsy moth, is a non-native invasive defoliator pest to the United States (U.S.). The National Slow the Spread (STS) Program was piloted in 1992 and fully implemented in 2000. Current management of spongy moth populations consists of large-scale suppression treatments and monitoring along the buffer zone. We computed the costs and costs avoided to human health, tourism and recreation, and willingness to pay for a public management program with and without the STS Program. We found that from 2007 to 2023 the Benefit Cost (B:C) Ratio was between 1.60 and 2.31, and from 2024 to 2045 we expect a return of between 3.81 and 5.58.

Bruck is a Research Economist with the U.S. Forest Service - Southern Research Station. They research forestry and natural resource management topics to generate economic information that is useful to the scientific community and key stakeholders. Bruck focuses their research on timber markets, forest products and trade, and forest disturbances.

sonia.bruck@usda.gov

Sky Stephens

USDA Forest Service Program Updates

Overview of the Forest Health Protection program and guiding Forest Service priorities. A review of recent pest issues and FHP investments with a  discussion on FY2025 outlooks and FHP's role in future spongy moth efforts.

Currently serves as the National Entomologist with Forest Health Protection (USDA-FS-State, Private and Tribal Forestry). She has worked as a forest health specialist and entomologist for almost 15 years with positions at the Washington Office, Region 2, and with the Colorado State Forest Service. Sky is currently responsible for National level program management in entomology, genetic conservation, resistance and restoration, and supports annual conditions reporting, and accountability metrics. She works to leverage forest health data and partnerships into strategic investments that support healthy and resilient forests.

stephanie.s.stephens@usda.gov

Diana Mooij 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency update

A review of the CFIA's flighted spongy moth, spongy moth and spotted lanternfly programs for 2025.

Diana is a Senior Program Specialist in the Invasive Alien Species section at the 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Since joining the agency she has been involved with the development and implementation of the invasive alien species program and the invasive plants program. At the CFIA, she has served as he national lead for the flighted spongy moth vessel certification program since 2012. In 2021 she also became the CFIA's program lead for spotted lanternfly.

diana.mooij@inspection.gc.ca

Veronica Ledezma 

CBPAS FSMC Inspection Process Video

This video is CBPASs inspection protocol from start to finish for spongy moth.  We would like to showcase this video one last time before we update old references for the spongy moth in the video.  It is an excellent video with Chief Dean Duval as the presenter.

I am from the Rio Grande Valley located in deep South Texas along the Mexican border.  I have a Bachelors degree in General Biology and a minor in Criminal Justice.  I worked as a Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician and PPQ Officer in Laredo, Texas.  I transferred to the Pharr/Hidalgo Port of Entry located in the Rio Grande Valley in 2001.  In 2003 we merged into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and became CBP Agriculture Specialists (CBPAS). I was a Supervisory CBPAS for three years, then moved to DHS CBP Headquarters in Washington, DC as an Agriculture Operations Manager (AOM) for Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison (APTL).  I am currently a senior AOM at DHS CBP APTL HQ with a total of 25 years of government service.

veronica.a.ledezma@dhs.gov

Rosa Yoo

LDD Suppression Panel Discussion 

Provide brief overview of PA DCNR's LDD Suppression Program and respond to questions as part of the panel. 

Rosa is the Forest Health Manager for the PA DCNR Division of Forest Health. She started this position in 2023, and brings with her 20 years of professional forestry experience primarily focused in forest health but also forest management and urban forestry.  She graduated from SUNY-ESF with a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Resource Management and Forest Biology, and a Master’s degree in Silviculture and Forest Health. Forest health is her greatest passion and she enjoys the exciting, dynamic nature of forest health challenges and the process to seek solutions to sustain the health of our forests. In her spare time she likes to listen to podcasts and attempting to make unhealthy foods healthy! 

RYOO@PA.GOV

Jamie goethe

Trapping Coordinator Discussion 

This open discussion gives trapping coordinators a chance to share updates, challenges, and ideas from their programs. The session is meant to be an informal exchange of experiences and practical solutions. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, share bestow learned wisdom, and connect with other trapping coordinators. 

Jamie Goethe graduated with an MS in Entomology from NC State University focusing on how landscapes influence insect life histories in agriculture. Since joining the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services in 2021, he has served as the statewide spongy moth trapping coordinator, overseeing detection efforts across the state. 

james.goethe@ncagr.gov