Category: Fall 2015

Gold-spotted oak borer was discovered in Riverside and Los Angeles counties this fall. Here is one of the news releases issued.

Invasive pest found in Riverside County: Fire and forest officials ask public’s help to stop spread

Idyllwild—The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) has been detected in a recently-killed California black oak tree in the Riverside County mountain community of Idyllwild. Larvae extracted from under the tree bark were subjected to DNA analysis at the University of California Riverside and confirmed to be Agrilus auroguttatus, the scientific name for GSOB. This new detection of GSOB represents the first long-distance movement of the beetle from its known area of infestation in San Diego County, 40 miles to the south. It is believed to have made the jump from San Diego to Idyllwild through the movement of infested firewood. The infested tree is slated for immediate removal and disposal.

The GSOB is transported in oak firewood, so it is critical that Californians keep firewood local and not move it out of the area. Here are some immediate steps to help stop the spread of GSOB:

• Use firewood from local sources—“Buy it Where you Burn It”, check out firewoodscout.org.
• When traveling, leave your firewood at home and don’t transport it to recreational cabins, campgrounds or parks. Buy it at your destination and leave any leftover.

“The public plays a key role in stopping the spread of the destructive GSOB,” said CAL FIRE Director and State Forester Ken Pimlott. “When choosing firewood make sure you buy it from a local source and not from out of the area. This infestation could have devastating effects on California and we all must work to stop its spread.”

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is collaborating with the University of California, the U.S. Forest Service and the County of Riverside to develop a rapid response plan for GSOB in San Jacinto forest communities. Surveys are already in progress to determine the extent of the infestation. Property owners in the Idyllwild area will be receiving additional information in the coming weeks on the GSOB and how to assess their own oak trees as well as a list of recommended contacts for questions. These infestations can be very destructive to our forests, communities, individual properties, and are extremely costly to control.

Anyone planning to purchase or burn firewood is encouraged to visit www. firewood.ca.gov to learn how help stop the spread of GSOB and other pests through the movement of firewood. For more information on GSOB visit www.gsob.org. www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_newsreleases_GSOB_ Riverside

Starting in 2002, Dr. Doug Piirto, Dr. Wally Mark, Dr. Ulric Lund, David Yun, Elicia Wise, Jason Pinkerton, Valerie Loe and other scientists researched the effects of pitch canker on the Año Nuevo native Monterey pine stands that are on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR) in Davenport, CA. This study consisted of 27 plots of varying sizes, with 18 of these plots being planted with native Monterey pine stock. The slash of nine of these treated plots was piled and burned, while the slash on the other nine plots was lopped and scattered. Nine plots were left as control and received no treatment. The goals of this study were to better understand the effects each of these treatments had on the Monterey pine seedling survival and growth, and to investigate genetic resistance to pitch canker. This project went on for about 10 years, and Dr. Doug thought the project was largely finished.

In 2013 Dr. Hans Pretzsch, Enno Uhl and other researchers from the Wiehenstephan Forestry program at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany participated in a tour of the SPR study area and were instantly intrigued by the research opportunities the area had to offer. In January of this year, a TUM student, Max von Stern, traveled to California to work with SPR staff and students to collect data within the Monterey pine plots established by Dr. Doug and others in order to further the study.

The field data collection crew consisted of Max plus Ben Han and me (Tori Norville), graduate students from Cal Poly. We helped each other gather what was needed for our respective bachelor’s and master’s thesis studies. We worked for two and a half months, measuring the height and diameter of Monterey pine trees and observing the effects of the pitch canker disease on each of the planted trees within the 18 planted Monterey pine plots. Max’s study required core samples from trees in the surrounding stand, as well as height and diameter of those trees. By the end of the process, I had collected my master’s thesis data under the direction of Dr. Doug, Dr. Sarah Bisbing and Dr. Ulrich Lund, with an offer to travel to Germany to work on my data analysis with TUM professors, scientists and staff during the fall 2015 quarter.

In October, I traveled to Freising, Germany, along with Dr. Doug and his wife Mary. My trip was funded by the BaCaTech institute, which helps pay travel and living costs for students and faculty members traveling between Bavaria, Germany and California for research collaborations such as this.

Dr. Hans Pretzsch, Enno Uhl and others from TUM hosted us and whisked us off for forest management and sightseeing tours in the Alps. We were shown the latest scientific advances in silviculture, climate change impacts on forests, forest genetics and wood density. Dr. Doug also gave a seminar presentation about silviculture and forest management in California.

The Germany field tours enabled Dr. Doug, Mary and me to:

• Visit the town of Traunstein in the Alps. Here, TUM manages the Traunstein Municipal Forest for timber production as well as recreation, research, and wildlife using a selection forest management approach. It was learned that Germany has been trying to convert its mono-species Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands to a mixed species forest type that includes European silver fir (Abies alba), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), birch, beech and Norway spruce. Norway spruce is the dominant species in many post-World War II planted forests, because of its value as a timber species. However, the combination of climate change, bark beetles and disease has created problems with these mature stands, necessitating a more native, mixed-species approach.
• Observe restoration of wind thrown damaged stands to a mixed forest type.
• Visit the Nationalpark Berchtesgaden in the Alps, where we took a wonderful sightseeing boat ride on the Königssee.
• Observe and discuss the Nelder experimental design trials of planted oak, funded by Audi Corporation. The circular-plot experimental design consisted of eighteen rings, each one decreasing in planted oak tree density, with the center ring the most densely planted.
• Observe TUM’s long-term Douglas-fir provenance studies.
• Observe TUM’s forest studies evaluating the effects of ozone and drought on survival and growth of spruce, beech and other native species. Measurements utilizing the latest electronic technology were occurring on the tree roots, stems, leaf litter, soil properties and much more in the treated and control plots.
• Observe the gothic architecture of Munich, Freising, Landshut and other areas.

Dr. Doug stayed in Germany during my first week, before continuing on to Finland, where he presents guest forest management and leadership lectures at Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences each year.

I have spent the fall at TUM, working with their faculty and staff to organize the field data and start statistical analysis. Dr. Doug and I also are working with the faculty at TUM and Dr. Sauli Valkonen from the Finnish Forest Research Institute on a distance-to-edge study within the Monterey pine stand at Swanton Pacific Ranch. In January, I will return to the U.S. to complete my master’s thesis at Cal Poly.

By the time you read this, Don Dukleth, High Sierra Chapter, will have received the District 3 2015 Field Forester of the Year award at the national SAF convention in Baton Rouge, LA. Don is a long-time employee of Southern California Edison and has provided continuous support to Forest Conservation Days, including helping the program move to its current location outside of Kings Canyon National Park. Congratulations Don!

NorCal SAF will hopefully have received nominations by October 31 for its two annual awards, Forestry Achievement and the Chapter of the Year, which will be presented at the winter meeting in January.

Now is also the time to be thinking about nominations for national awards, which are due annually February 28.

It is exciting to announce that we’ve had very good success with our applications for Forester Fund grants. The steam donkey restoration project received a $5,000 special project grant. And I have to say it has given a jet of steam to the project. John Nicoles has been diligently working with experts to determine how to get the steam donkey repaired and has made great progress on an approach. There is new excitement and commitment from partners to assist with fund raising. We have a poster to present at the national SAF convention titled “Keeping History Alive,” which documents the history of the steam donkey, its value as an interpretive tool, and our efforts to restore it. Remember, you can go to the NorCal SAF website to get information on how to donate to this project.

The other big news is that we are receiving two $1,500 Forester Fund grants to help support the California SAF Centennial in 2016. The funds will be used to develop special displays and record the history of SAF’s contributions to forestry in California.

The Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department at Cal Poly has established an endowment for Excellence in Forestry Education in honor of Dr. Doug Piirto’s passionate commitment to the profession of forestry and education for the next generation of foresters. In a professional career that has spanned more than four decades, Doug was a valued faculty member, served as department head for 14 years, and was a member of the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection for four years. Those who know Doug recognize that this brief summary of his distinguished career merely touches on his most publicly notable accomplishments and contributions. What really mattered to Doug was how he touched individual lives in both professional and personal ways.

The Piirto Fund offers a means for people who share the same goals as Doug to contribute monetarily and ensure that his legacy continues. The funds collected will be invested by the University Foundation with payouts made, at the discretion of the department head, from the interest earned to advance Cal Poly forestry education, including, but not limited to:

• assistance for field trips to Swanton Pacific Ranch or other locations;
• assistance for SAF club activities, and travel to professional meetings, and related events; and
• purchase of forestry-related tools.

To donate to the endowment, checks may be written to “Cal Poly State University” with “Dr. Douglas D. Piirto Endowment” written in the memo section of the check and/ or a note may be attached with the check, stating the same. Mail donations to Russ Kabaker, Assistant Dean of Advancement and External Relations, CAFES, Cal Poly State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407.

National awards: February 28 Send to: National SAF office

Fellows: February 28  Send to: National SAF office

Presidential Field Forester: May 15  Send to: District 3 representative (elect) Richard Standiford

Outstanding student chapter: June 20 Send to: National SAF office

Northern California SAF Forestry Achievement: October 31 Send to: NorCal SAF awards chair or NorCal SAF chair

Northern California SAF Chapter of the Year: October 31 Send to: NorCal SAF awards chair