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STORIES -> Success Stories
Managing Sudden Oak Death in California
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| Dead oak trees dot a Marin County
hillside in 2000. |
In 1995, an alarming number of oak trees
died in California’s Marin, Santa Cruz, and Monterey
Counties. Their leaves turned brown in a matter of weeks,
causing observers to call the affliction Sudden Oak Death.
University of California researchers discovered the cause
of Sudden Oak Death five years later. A previously unknown
microbe named Phytophthora ramorum was killing the tanoaks,
coast live oaks, and California black oaks.
Sudden Oak Death poses a serious threat to forests worldwide.
Since its distribution was limited at the time, an aggressive
and comprehensive program was developed to minimize its spread.
The disease erupted in California counties where urban settlements
overlap with wildland areas. Over 7 million people live in
or use the area for recreation. Trees died on government lands
as well as those owned by individuals and companies. Efforts
to control the disease continue to require the cooperative
efforts of many landowners and managers to address the problem.
Task Force Covers Need for Cooperation
In August of 2000, a month after the microbe’s discovery,
the California Oak Mortality Task Force (COMTF) was formed
to manage the issue. Created by the California Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the California Forest
Pest Council, the COMTF brought together public agencies,
non-profit organizations, and private interests to address
Sudden Oak Death in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
The COMTF grew in four years to include over 80 agencies
and more than 1000 members. Committees and sub-committees
cover many aspects regarding the disease. They include: Management,
Biomass Utilization, Education, Research, Monitoring, Funding,
Nurseries, Arborists. An Executive Committee brought representatives
of these interests together.
Goals and Accomplishments
Education and outreach are among the COMTF’s main goals.
These efforts consistently spread the word about new research
and recommendations for managing the disease to best improve
forest health. Agencies, businesses, and homeowners received
information on preventing the pathogen’s establishment
and spread. Hundreds of professionals were trained to recognize
the disease. Thousands more attended lectures or meetings.
They learned about proper sanitation practices and where to
obtain assistance. Communities were educated about maintaining
public safety in infested areas.
Hundreds of articles were published or broadcast, and tens
of thousands of handouts were distributed to inform the public.
A website, www.suddenoakdeath.org,
was developed as the centerpiece of its outreach plan. It
has received well over 60,000 hits.
Developing and implementing California’s Sudden Oak
Death program is another COMTF objective. The work of prioritizing,
coordinating, and planning a program of management practices
and policies is based on the latest scientific findings. Lead
researchers act as Science Advisors to the Executive Committee.
The USDA-Pacific Southwest Research Station and California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection funded research
with research needs assessments conducted by universities,
land management agencies, and private industry. Federal, state,
and university experts work together on the statewide monitoring
program, with results kept in a database accessible at the
COMTF website. These research and monitoring resources are
used to create work plans and provide technical assistance
for legislators crafting effective science-based legislation.
As problems surface, the COMTF works to create solutions.
For example, the need for consistent federal and state quarantine
regulations was addressed. It also sought to collaborate with
Tribal Nations.
The Task Force continues to work with the variety of agencies,
organizations, and individuals affected to provide the most
current and accurate information and recommendations on Sudden
Oak Death available. It is an effort to protect California’s
woodlands and the communities dependent upon them.
Contact Person:
Lucia Briggs, State Coordinator
California Oak Mortality Task Force
143 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-5938
lbriggs@nature.berkeley.edu
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