Brad Withrow-Robinson, Forestry and Natural Resources Extension agent for Benton, Linn and Polk Counties and Amy Grotta Forestry and Natural Resources Extension agent for Columbia, Washington and Yamhill Counties

We recently attended a field tour on Black Stain Root Disease in the Coast Range. The tour was organized by Dave Shaw and Klaus Puettmann (OSU Extension and College of Forestry) and was attended by private land managers, forest health specialists and researchers from state and federal agencies.

Black stain root disease (BSRD) is a native root disease affecting several species across the West, but attacks mainly Douglas-fir in western Oregon. Foresters are aware of several “hot spots” where the disease has been particularly active in recent years, and there is concern that it might be expanding.

The purpose of the tour was to share and compile the field observations and experiences of the participants to test the perception that the disease is expanding in scope or severity and consider management responses. We of course wanted to figure out how that might affect family forest landowners in our area.

BSRD causes a gradual or rapid decline and crown discoloration of infected trees.  Older trees generally do not quickly succumb to the disease. It forms disease centers that gradually spread, much like the symptoms of other root diseases like laminated root rot.

But BSRD is most visible and important in young trees, especially precommercially thinned plantations.  Young trees often show an abrupt change in condition from healthy vigorous trees one year, to stunted and yellowing trees the next year. A characteristic of BSRD.  The disease is named for the black or dark purple staining of the sapwood.  It can be by hacking into the stem (something all pathologists love to do) or in cross section.

BSRD has two means of spreading. This includes root to root contact, as with many other root diseases.  But black stain can also be moved by several pests that are attracted to stressed or damaged trees, such as insects and forest pathologists.  Insect vectors seem to be how it moves from an existing disease center to create new infections.  This creates the potential to spread, and to be affected by management activities that damage or stress trees.  This includes road building, “brushing” roads  (mechanically clearing road edges) and young stand thinning. Young stand thinning is seen as the management activity with the greatest potential to increase this disease.  This is because the insect vectors (weevils and a root bark beetle) are attracted to cut stumps.   The insects infect the stump, and the fungus can then spread to neighboring trees through root contact and grafts.   Activities causing soil disturbance and root damage are also likely to invite spread.

Take Home Message

Our sense at the end of this tour was that BSRD is not something for most family forest landowners in NW Oregon to be very concerned about. It is out there, but not in high concentrations in most areas.  The general consensus of the group was that the recent rise in the visibility of BSRD is mostly due to the gradually shifting pattern of age classes on the landscape that is making the disease more evident, and not a significant expansion of its range or activity.   It is and is likely to remain a much less-significant disease in our area than laminated root rot.    That said, those who are in an area with a significant amount of BSRD do need to pay attention when harvesting and establishing new plantations.  You can find out more about BSRD at these links:

https://www.forestpests.org/acrobat/bsrd.pdf

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5187236.pdf

Brad Withrow-Robinson, Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Agent for Benton, Linn and Polk Counties.

The wood sickness is an all-too-common condition that afflicts many in the family forest landowner community.  As described earlier, it is characterized by large accumulations of wood in a person’s yard, shed, garage or barn, excessive buildup of chain saws and other logging tools, portable mills, and all sorts of secondary wood working tools. You know it when you see it.

People with this affliction treat wood with the same passion as collectors of fine wine treat their vintages. Each likes to hide things away and store them cool dark places, often for years at a time.  Yet each is able to recite the source and a story of how they came to own each piece or bottle.  They are determined and very patient waiting for each to find its destiny.

Orson Wells made a series of wine commercials late in his career that captured that spirit when he would declare “We sell no wine before its time.” The parallel sentiment among wood hoarders might be “we use no board before it’s stored.”

An afflicted friend of mine (who will remain unnamed) is remodeling a house and recently put in a hardwood floor. He patiently converted stacks of stickered wood into milled floorboards.  Then, he gradually and laboriously laid them out one by one to create a gorgeous floor of Oregon white oak, bordered with black walnut.  As discussed before, there is no cure for the wood sickness, but it can be helped by therapy.  The therapy is difficult and sometimes painful.  His therapy reduced the amount of wood in his stockpile while producing pain in his knees and back, but was otherwise effective and productive.

There are many people like Jay who are coping and trying to come to grips with their obsession. You see them around town from time to time.  No more so than this time of year, when they commonly emerge from garages and workshops coated in therapeutic sawdust, to display and maybe sell the products of their therapy at art shops, Christmas Bazars and the Local Goods from the Woods fair.  They may be friends, family or even complete strangers, but please show them some holiday spirit.  Meet them half way.

I bet that turned fruit bowl would look terrific in your sister’s dining room.

When I was on the Forest Tour to Sweden and Norway in June 2016,  I learned that the Scandinavians are serious about their history as well as their forests.

So it should really come as no surprise that a group from the Swedish Forest History Society would visit Oregon to learn about our Forest History.

Touring from Seattle to San Francisco, the group spent several days in Oregon moving down the lower Columbia to the Coast, then going through the Tillamook State Forest on the way to the Valley. Continue reading →

Brad Withrow-Robinson, Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Agent, Benton, Linn and Polk Counties.

Many landowners depend on professional operators to help get things done on their property.  This includes weed control. Finding the right person for the job is important. The process starts with knowing what you are looking for.

Like most forestry management practices, weed control is actually a mix of different activities. Depending on what you know and can do yourself, hiring a chemical applicator means you are actually looking to hire a mix of knowledge and skill, equipment and labor.

It is important to get this right. Otherwise you may waste money or injure your trees.  Worse still, it could mean causing damage to the environment or a neighbors’ crops, either of which would create a liability issue for you.

So how do you go about selecting the right chemical applicator for you? In conversations with some forestry professionals and landowners recently, it all boiled down to communicating about needs and expectations.  Here are some key questions and things to discuss before hiring a chemical applicator to work on your property.

Questions to ask potential providers: Continue reading →