A new study shows that screening for potentially harmful foreign plant species before they are imported is more economically beneficial than fighting them after they take root in new areas. Because the United States has no screening program for invasive species, the study focuses on Australia and finds that their prevention efforts pay for themselves with reduced economic damage in just over ten years and result in up to $1.8 billion in savings over 50 years. About 85 percent of non-native woody plant species growing wild in the U.S. were originally imported for the landscaping and nursery trade. Because the U.S. allows imports regardless of invasiveness, many species make it to public and private lands undetected. “This should be a wake up call to Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that strong, new legislation and regulation are long overdue.”

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes www.southernsustainableforests.org