Forest Health & Invasive Species Outreach & Education Program - FHIS

🐛 New Report Available: 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Prediction Survey

The Georgia Forestry Commission’s latest Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Prediction Survey Report is now available.

To complete this year’s survey, GFC placed 50 traps in 50 counties across Georgia, collecting samples weekly for six weeks. The survey tracks both Southern Pine Beetles and clerid beetles, a natural predator of SPB, to help assess potential forest health risks.

📊 Key findings from 2026:
➡️ Statewide average SPB catch: 26.0 beetles per trap per day (moderate range)
➡️ 2025 statewide average: 33.5 beetles per trap per day
➡️ High activity counties (80+ SPB/day): Carroll, Floyd, Polk, Randolph
➡️ Elevated activity counties (50–80 SPB/day): Clarke, Coweta, Dawson, Houston, Macon, Monroe

Southern Pine Beetles remain one of the most destructive forest pests in the South, making early monitoring and awareness critical.

📖 View the full report here:
https://gatrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-SPB-Prediction-Full-Report-final.pdf

🚨NEW SFE RESOURCE AVAILABLE🚨

We're excited to announce that the presentations from our recent Duff in the Sandhills Workshop with the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists are now archived as a playlist on our YouTube channel.

Watch for management lessons from reintroducing prescribed fire into long-unburned systems in North Carolina's sandhills.

Scan the QR code or click the link below!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg38mXDqkgvOW8Pk9QaQX2Pj1z3SjcDPq&si=iWxo8K4FLdF6ManC

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Check out this upcoming webinar series with FNR | Clemson Extension on oak tree health!
--Continuing Education Credits Available--

A Biological Bomb: The Feral Hog Invasion – Clemson University Forest A Biological Bomb: The Feral Hog Invasion Posted on May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by baldwi6 Gene W. Wood, Professor Emeritus Dept. Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University The issue In 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture estimated that feral hog populations had caused $1....

Next week is Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week! Join our partner, The Nature Conservancy, next week for a webinar series focused on this destructive invasive species. Learn more and register today at https://bit.ly/4neL1BK

Interested in supporting our efforts? Become a NAISMA Premier Partner today! Visit https://bit.ly/3OBn2vR for more info.

Our Spring 2026 Webinar Series may be over, but you can still watch all three webinars on-demand and receive FREE continuing education credits for up to a year after the posted date! Check out our website (southernforesthealth.net) for more information and to find other resources!

Did you miss today's webinar on hardwood tree diseases with foliar symptoms? Good news - it's now available to view on demand!

Tune in to learn more from Dr. Ellen Crocker (University of Kentucky)

--Continuing Education Credits Available--
Check out the website for more information and to see other free CEU opportunities: https://southernforesthealth.net/