Thursday, August 27 2009

Allmendinger Center
Washington State University
Research and Extension Center
2602 W. Pioneer
Puyallup, WA 98371
253-445-4501

Phytophthora ramorum , an exotic quarantine plant pathogen, has been detected in 42 nurseries in Western WA, and recently in streams near some of these nurseries. The spread of this pathogen into the landscape will trigger a series of quarantines that will have a significant economic impact on the horticulture and forest products industry. Stream monitoring programs have been shown to be an effective approach to detect the spread of this pathogen and focus eradication efforts to high risk areas, thus reducing the threat this pathogen poses to our landscape and forest ecosystems. The meeting brought interested people together to discuss this and provide the framework for development of a grant proposal to set up a regional stream monitoring program.