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Forest Health Highlighted as a Priority in Chile

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• The National Director also announced the upcoming launch of new educational material for children to learn about the importance of protecting forests from pests and diseases.

“Maintaining the health of our forests is a priority and highly relevant issue for the SAG. Forestry development is one of the strategic pillars of President Gabriel Boric's government, which is why we work tirelessly on this task,” stated the National Director of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) today, marking International Day of Forests. On this occasion, he also called on the public to support the agency’s work, emphasizing that safeguarding forest health is a shared responsibility.

The SAG has implemented a nationwide forest health program, with specialized personnel deployed across the country. In 2023, over 20,000 inspections were conducted on traps belonging to the forest surveillance network distributed nationwide, along with 14,893 surveys in specific forest areas of interest. In these areas, the SAG carries out meticulous inspections to promptly detect the presence of pests and diseases that could harm forest health.

Another task carried out by the agency is inspecting wooden packaging from abroad to ensure compliance with International Phytosanitary Measure Standard (ISPM) No. 15, aimed at preventing the entry of forest pests not present in Chile. In 2023, more than 32,000 wooden packaging units were inspected across the country, leading to the timely interception of 55 non-native pests.

It is worth noting that the SAG works on the official control of pests of economic and environmental significance that have recently entered the country or have limited distribution within Chile, causing negative effects on forest resources. Among the most complex pests are:Fusarium circinatum; Eucalyptus gall wasp; Pine bark beetle; European house borer; and Eucalyptus tortoise beetle.

Finally, the National Director announced that in the coming days, the agency will introduce a new SAG Educa initiative aimed at children. This educational material will focus on the importance of protecting the health of our native forests against threats from pests and diseases. This effort seeks to raise awareness among future generations about caring for and protecting the environment, highlighting the importance of maintaining forest health.

Source:www.elamerica.cl