http://www.times-standard.com/Storie...990427,00.html

County pushes for collective voice on sudden oak death
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard


It's only confirmed in four trees in Redway, but Humboldt County is
already bracing for what could eventually become a serious problem.

It's sudden oak death, a disease that has damaged or killed oaks
aplenty in nearly a dozen counties in California. The fungus-like
organism that causes the disease can be found in 16 species, and has
been found on redwood sprouts.

Some have wryly suggested that sudden oak death could be a boon for
the timber industry here, ridding timberland of pesky tan oaks. But
the problems that sudden oak death might pose for transporting logs
and equipment, while creating stands of fire-prone oaks would more
than likely outweigh the benefits of culling tan oaks.

On Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors supported the
formation of a group of 12 counties who want to act as a collective
voice to the state Legislature as sudden oak death comes up.

"In this case, with it being found here, and also north of us into
Oregon, it appears we'd better get on board and be a political force,"
said 3rd District Supervisor John Woolley.

Additional survey work was done on the Redway area, but more intensive
study needs to be done, said University of California Cooperative
Extension Forest Advisor Yana Valachovic.

Phytopthera ramorum shows up better when conditions are wet, she said.
Valachovic said lots of trees in Humboldt County have symptoms of
sudden oak death, but most are sick from other diseases common to the
region.

"It's really messy from a scientific perspective," she said.

Valachovic said that sudden oak death could quickly become a problem
for everyone, that the disease is not limited to one industry, like
timber. In fact, she said, the disease seems particularly prevalent in
parks and recreation areas.

So state and national parks, timberland owners and others that may be
affected by the spread of the disease are pulling together in an
as-yet-unnamed group to discuss it.

While timber may not be directly affected by the disease,
transportation of any host material could pose problems for the area's
timber industry.

"We're definitely keeping an eye out for it in the woods," said John
Davis, project forester for the Simpson Timber Co.

The problem is even if Simpson found phytopthera ramorum, there isn't
a set protocol for taking action to cope with it. It isn't known just
how the disease is spread and state and federal regulations are still
being harmonized, he said.

Valachovic said more research is needed, and until then suggested
taking a cautious approach. She said to beware of bringing mud and
leaf material into uninfected areas -- like most of Humboldt County --
from places with infestations of the disease.

One bit of good news: Valachovic said the disease has been found to
infect poison oak.

"The research is going rather slowly on that one," she joked.