[IUFRO RG 7.03 FORENT] A note of encouragement to attend the upcoming IUFRO meeting in Japan

Dear forest entomology and pathology colleagues, Many of you may recall that the IUFRO meeting, "Alien Invasive Species and International Trade” which was originally to be held last summer in Japan but was rescheduled to June 10-16, 2012 due to the tragic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck Northern Japan last March. Recently I was approached by a colleague who expressed concern about the safety of travel to Japan for the meeting and now I feel compelled to reach out to the entire scientific community to assure that there is no danger in visiting Japan and encourage all of you to attend this important meeting. As scientists, we should make decisions based on reputable sources of information; the various UN agencies, the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency have all issued statements confirming the safety of visitors to Japan outside of the ca. 20 km evacuation zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Tokyo University, the site of the IUFRO meeting is over 200 km from the plant and there is no danger from radiation. The earthquake that struck Japan in March was a horrible thing that touched the lives of many Japanese people. I spent a few weeks in Tsukuba, Japan last summer and was impressed how quickly the country came together to restore virtually all aspects of everyday life. In addition to the fact that Japan is a fascinating and beautiful country, I highly recommend the upcoming IUFRO meeting on a purely scientific basis. The problem of alien species is one of the greatest forest health problems in virtually every part of the world. The meeting in Japan is going to provide a unique opportunity for scientists to exchange information about the impacts of alien species, monitoring systems for early detection, risk evaluation, invasion pathways and new approaches for managing invading forest insects and pathogens. The venue at Tokyo University is excellent and local organizer Dr. Kenji Fukuda has planned what I expect will be a very stimulating program. Information about the upcoming meeting can be found at: http://hyoka.nenv.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/alien.htm and https://apollon.nta.co.jp/IUFRO2012-er I hope to see many of you in Tokyo! -Sandy -- Andrew Liebhold                  http://sandyliebhold.com Northern Research Station   304-285-1512 USDA Forest Service           304-285-1505 FAX 180 Canfield St.                  724-317-8668 mobile Morgantown, WV  26505 USA