The Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service have joined forces to treat oak wilt on state and federal lands in the northern Lower Peninsula. The oak wilt suppression project is jointly funded with state and federal funds.
This year’s project will include areas of state forest land in Alpena, Benzie, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, Missaukee, Otsego and Roscommon counties.
Additionally, areas of federal forest land managed by the U.S. Forest Service will be treated in Iosco, Manistee and Wexford counties.
“Oak wilt is now permanently established in Michigan, but cooperative efforts like this can go a long way in helping to preserve our state’s valuable oak resource,” said Roger Mech, DNR forest health specialist. “This disease may be aggressive, but by working together with the Forest Service we can also be aggressive in treating affected trees.”
Oak wilt is an exotic disease that poses a serious threat to Michigan’s red oak trees. Infected trees die quickly, often within a few weeks of the appearance of symptoms. The disease, which occurs across much of the state in both urban and forest settings, moves rapidly to healthy oak trees through root systems that have grafted with diseased trees.
While oak wilt-infected trees cannot be saved, healthy trees can be protected by breaking root grafts before the disease can spread. A 5-foot-long steel blade mounted on a vibratory plow is used to sever the root systems below ground.
Red oak trees growing inside the treatment lines are then cut and chipped, burned or sawed into lumber to help prevent overland spread of the disease. Leaving diseased trees standing increases the risk of overland spread by beetles that can move oak wilt spores long distances to healthy trees.
Treatment of oak wilt areas is intended to:
Protect timber value in forests with high-value oak.
Control small, isolated areas of oak wilt to minimize risk of spread to new areas.
Preserve recreational value in and around state and federal recreation areas.
