Suspect Sudden Oak Death? What you need to know.

By Norma Kline, OSU Forestry Agent, Coos and Curry Counties

Figure 1. Quarantine areas

If you have read news articles about Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in southern Oregon’s Curry County you may be concerned that trees on your property are at risk for infection. Sudden Oak Death has killed hundreds of thousands of tanoak since it was first detected near Brookings in 2001. Why has Sudden Oak Death been so damaging to our native ecosystems? Sudden Oak Death is caused by an introduced (non-native) pathogen called Phytophthora ramorum. Phytophthora ramorum is an internationally quarantined pathogen first described in California in the mid-1990’s and remains a serious threat to forest and nursery industries. Oregon’s interagency Sudden Oak Death program actively surveys and treats infestations at the leading edge of the disease.

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Emerald Ash Borer has been Detected in Oregon

shiny green wings on yellow body of beetle on green leaf
Credit: money cue_canada.adobe.com (Cropped from original)

On June 30, 2022, emerald ash borer (EAB), an exotic beetle that infests ash trees, was discovered in Forest Grove, Oregon, marking the first confirmation of the invasive pest on the West Coast. In Oregon, the establishment of EAB could devastate whole habitat types that are dominated by Oregon ash such as ash swales and sensitive riparian zones, as well as reduce urban forest cover. This pest has proven deadly to all ash species in North America and Europe, including the native Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia).

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Update on the Western Redcedar Mapping and Monitoring Project

A healthy western redcedar in Coos County. Photo: Norma Kline

Since 2020 researchers have collected data on the distribution and extent of western redcedar (WRC) dieback across the Pacific Northwest. This team effort by Christine Buhl (Oregon Department of
Forestry Entomologist), Melissa Fischer (Washington DNR Entomologist), Betsy Goodrich (US Forest Service
Pathologist), and other collaborators was funded by the U.S. Forest Service Evaluation and Monitoring Program. The project was initiated after WRC dieback symptoms were observed by landowners and forest health specialists from Oregon to western Canada. Symptoms of WRC dieback include thinning crowns, branch dieback, topkill and even mortality. Don’t confuse the normal seasonal fall dieback of older foliage with WRC dieback. Read more about WRC dieback, research, data collection and results to date in the WRC dieback story board here. Of particular interest are implications related to species selection for timber and restoration planting efforts. WRC does best in areas within the coastal fogbelt and inland areas below 4000 feet with sufficient moisture. In areas where WRC dieback is observed there may be environmental conditions causing stress to WRC including drought, heat, exposure and crowding. The authors suggest that we may be seeing a potential shift in the range of WRC depending on changing conditions.

WRC Storymap of project summary and results. Betsy Goodrich (USFS R6), Melissa Fischer (WADNR), Christine Buhl (ODF): https://tinyurl.com/WRCStorymap

Assessing stand growth rate with an increment borer

By Norma Kline

Have you noticed the wide array of tools used by foresters and wondered which ones might be useful for a small landowner? The decision to purchase forestry tools will depend on a landowner’s general interest in hands-on woodland management. Basic tools to consider include a compass for orienting, a loggers tape to measure distances and a woodland stick to estimate diameter and height. Other options include a diameter tape which can easily fit in a pocket and a clinometer used for height as well as slope. If you are interested in learning more about these tools check out the extension publications below in the reference section of this article. There are also more specialized and even more expensive tools like rangefinders that use laser technology; these are handy but would likely be most cost effective for professional use.

Figure 1. Increment core shows growth rings

This article discusses increment borers and how they can help assess stand growth. Increment borers are used to extract a narrow wood core from a tree. The extracted core provides a clear view of the tree’s annual growth rings. Some increment borers are quite long, up to two feet or more and are generally used to core to the center of larger trees to determine their age. These long increment borers are expensive, over $600 and are cumbersome to carry. Luckily many landowners already have a good idea of tree age from planting records or by inspecting landscape changes using historical imagery in Google Earth.

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OSU research suggests Forest Service lands not the main source of wildfires affecting communities

STORY BY: Steve Lundeberg, SOURCE: Chris Dunn

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Research led by Oregon State University shows that fires are more likely to burn their way into national forests than out of them.

The findings contradict the common narrative of a destructive wildfire igniting on remote public land before spreading to threaten communities, said Chris Dunn of the OSU College of Forestry.

The study, which looked at more than 22,000 fires, found that those crossing jurisdictional boundaries are primarily caused by people on private property.

It also showed that ignitions on Forest Service lands accounted for fewer than 25% of the most destructive wildfires – ones that resulted in the loss of more than 50 structures. Read more here:https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/osu-research-suggests-forest-service-lands-not-main-source-wildfires-affecting-communities

Digital Mapping Tools: Part 4, creating a stand type map and integrating your digital maps into your management plan

By Norma Kline and Alicia Christiansen

This is the fourth article in our digital mapping series. The first articles covered how to get the most out of your basic mapping app that comes preloaded on your smart device, the process of printing a topographic map, and how to transfer data between apps and desktop programs (links for these articles are provided at the end of this article). In this article we cover details on integrating digital maps into a management plan and follow our fictional landowner, Sitka Silver, as she creates a stand type map.

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New book reviews Oregon forest management, water quality issues

November 2021. Kym Pokorny, Public Service Communications Specialist. Story Source: Jon Souder, Watershed Management Specialist

CORVALLIS, Ore. – From source to tap, much of Oregon’s water passes through its forests. Along the way quality can be compromised.

Forests – from family outfits to multi-national operations – play a vital role in Oregon’s water system. Activities like logging make a difference in the quality and quantity of the state’s water supply, according to Jon Souder, Oregon State University Extension Service watershed management specialist and assistant professor in the College of Forestry.

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Webinar series sparks Port Orford’s Quinn Allen into action

By Norma Kline (OSU Extension Forester for Coos and Curry Counties) and Dan Stark (OSU Extension Forester for Clatsop, Lincoln and Tillamook Counties)

One of the great things about working in forestry and natural resources extension education is meeting community members who are passionate about growing and caring for their woodlands. Woodland owners are often motivated to learn and help out with issues that extend far beyond their own woodland or community boundaries. Recently, Dan and Norma (along with Marianne Elliott a plant pathologist at Washington State University extension) met a Port Orford community member, Quinn Allen, who is committed to helping get the word out about Sudden Oak Death. Quinn attended a live webinar about the risks of Phytophthora introductions in native ecosystems hosted by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Quinn engaged in a discussion at the end of the webinar that spanned an audience of experts, learners, restoration groups and practitioners all trying to strengthen networks and address risk prevention strategies across a wide geographic area.

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Sudden Oak Death in Port Orford

If you are interested in staying up-to-date on the Sudden Oak Death infestation in Port Orford, bookmark this dedicate landing page in your browser: https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/suddenoakdeathworkshops/

Are you on Facebook? Follow the OSU Extension Forestry and Natural Resource page for Coos and Curry Counties (click on the Facebook logo to visit page). We will be posting topics of interest in regards to Sudden Oak Death.