OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY OREGON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY. Sudden Oak Death in Oregon Forests

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1 OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY OREGON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Sudden Oak Death in Oregon Forests House Committee On Agriculture and Natural Resources February 25,

2 Background Curry County, Tanoak mortality Phytophthora ramorum (non-native) Tanoak is the key host species Many hosts infected (and regulated) Requires mild/moist environments Survives in a variety of substrates plant debris, soil, water Reproduces by spores Origin unknown Many pathways for dispersal Aerial spread Lesion inside bark Rhododendron Douglas-fir External Bleeding Brookings, July, 2014 Grand fir Oregon myrtle

3 Sudden Oak Death Program in Oregon Forests Delimitation : m. buffer from infected trees Dead tanoak trees SOD infestation 1. Survey and detection 2. Delimitation of infected sites 3. Treatment of infected sites 4. Regulation / education 5. Monitoring / research

4 Without treatment, disease intensifies and spread increases (Curry County, July, 2015) Danny Norlander photo

5 SUDDEN OAK DEATH September, 2001 Nine infested sites Quarantine area 9 mi 2.

6 SUDDEN OAK DEATH December, 2010 Quarantine area 154 square miles On private land, amount of disease exceeding our capacity to cut and burn all infested sites on non-federal land. BLM continues to treat all their sites Strategic decision to treat high-priority sites near edge of quarantine area, leave other areas untreated Program goal transitions to slowing spread rather than complete eradication

7 SUDDEN OAK DEATH March, 2012 Quarantine expands to 202 square miles. Generally Infested Area (GIA) established. Eradication treatments not required within the GIA; required outside of GIA. Expands as needed. Treatment priorities based on importance for slowing disease spread and funding.

8 Sudden Oak Death June, 2015 Situation at time of last presentation Infestations at northern edge of GIA were too large and costly to treat; GIA expanded to include them; they remain untreated infestations: 12 outside GIA; 300 buffer on 3 sites, others minimum treatment (20-50 buffer) infestations (as of June 8): 11 outside GIA, including a large one near CA border.

9 SUDDEN OAK DEATH February, new sites outside the GIA in 2015; none more distant than previous sites, and none near the new quarantine boundary. Quarantine area expanded (for 7 th time) to 515 mi 2. No further expansion of the GIA it remains at 58 mi 2. Winchuck infestation near CA border is large (50 ac); eradication is 90% complete. EU1 Lineage discovered near Pistol River

10 EU1 Infestation Single tanoak infected with the EU1 clonal lineage of P. ramorum found in May 2015, located one mile north of a small private nursery (now closed) that had EU1 infected plants. First report of EU1 clonal lineage in US forests EU1 lineage damages conifers in Europe and is potentially more damaging than other lineages 13 acres were cut and burned. Two post treatment surveys failed to find the pathogen on or near the infested site. ODF will continue surveys and monitoring

11 SUDDEN OAK DEATH February, 2016 Treatment Status USFS has started treatments on their land Sufficient funds to treat all of the 2015 infestations at some level, but not all with 300 foot buffer. Funding for 2016 uncertain: projected budget allows $125,000 for eradication treatments Assuming disease levels similar to 2015, treatment costs could be $500,000 - $800,000 (assuming 300 ft buffer)

12 SUDDEN OAK DEATH RISK MAP OWNERSHIP MAP

13 The future: four alternatives 1. Transition to living with the disease. (education, BMPs). 2. Continue current slow-the-spread program as funded today 3. Continue slow-the-spread program with enough funding and cooperation to enable treating all infestations with at least 300 buffers. 4. Contain to Curry County: establish Action Zone; enhance surveys; create contingency fund for rapid response in Action Zone, sites outside of Curry County, or sites with new lineages; begin long term tanoak resistance and gene conservation program.

14 Why? Protect tanoak and other ecosystems. Delay or prevent costs to nursery and forest products industries: Production costs due to regulations Loss of domestic and international markets. Courtesy of John Browning, Weyerhaeuser Company

15 QUESTIONS?