Sudden Oak Death in Marin County,
A case study of community impacts
In the 1990s, Sudden Oak Death created a case of "controlled chaos" in Marin County, California, placing in motion a rapid response to a critical problem impacting entire communities, neighborhoods, and individuals. Leadership originating at the individual
level permeated throughout the Federal, State, and local levels to create a model for
solving a community problem.
The story began simply enough with reports of tanoaks bleeding and dying in an unusual pattern and at an accelerated rate. Several arborists brought the problem to the attention of local officials and university researchers. The Marin County Fire Department removed hazardous roadside trees, and along with watershed and open space managers, continued to seek assistance to determine the cause.
The local tree mortality was dismissed because it was occurring on a tree of no commercial value and was not terribly extensive. Marin County communities were built in a forest made up of redwood, Douglas-fir, tanoak, and other species. Tanoak is considered an undesirable tree by most foresters, since it competes with Douglas-fir and other timber species for space and resources. However, in Marin County, it is an important component of the urban forest; many homes are nestled among tanoaks, which contribute to the "woodsy" feeling of mountain neighborhoods.
Marin County created a task force to address the problem. Cynthia Murray, a county supervisor from a district that was particularly hard hit, became a champion for the issue, pursuing political and technical assistance. University of California, Cooperative Extension, in Marin County hired a coordinator to set up a Website, develop educational materials, and handle inquiries from local residents. Hundreds of people attended community meetings in Greenbrae, Kentfield, and other impacted areas. Marin County declared itself a disaster area and appealed to the Governor for disaster relief. However, the request was turned down.
About this time, Phytophthora ramorum was determined to be the cause of the mortality. University of California researchers funded by a USDA Forest Service grant made the discovery, and a statewide task force was formed to address elevated oak mortality. In November 2000, Marin County hosted a Sudden Oak Death Summit for local, State and Federal officials, with a helicopter flyover to view the mortality. Hundreds of people attended the summit, and the first State monies ($100,000) were announced there. USDA Undersecretary James Lyons attended and pledged millions of dollars of Federal funds.
In April 2001, Marin County officials estimated they needed $4 million to respond to the Sudden Oak Death problem. The bulk of the funds were for hazard tree removal in public areas. The sheriff requested money to respond to emergencies, and several cities appealed for funds for replanting.
In addition to public safety issues from hazard trees and increased risk of fire, Sudden Oak Death also created a community garbage problem. The State, concerned that landfills are reaching capacity, mandates that all communities recycle or reuse 50% of their refuse. To meet this requirement, greenwaste -- grass clippings, and branch prunings and other yard waste -- is diverted from landfills and composted or used as fuel in co-generation plants. Tons of San Francisco Bay Area greenwaste (estimated at over one hundred, 25-ton truckloads per day) is trucked to co-generation plants, all of which are located outside the SOD quarantine area. Since Sudden Oak Death is common in many parts of Marin County, there is concern that the movement of greenwaste from Marin and other infested counties may inadvertently transfer the pathogen to new areas. Municipalities had agreed to waste management contracts worth millions of dollars, and do not have many other options for disposing of greenwaste. The municipalities are faced with $10,000 per day fines for violating recycling laws if they observe the SOD quarantine by not taking waste material to co-generation plants. However, these issues are nearing resolution. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) completed a risk assessment for the movement of greenwaste, and it is expected to issue a rule revision to allow greenwaste transfer to co-generation plants under careful safeguarding and inspection.
Impacts to individuals.
Residents who lose mature oak trees to SOD are saddened by the removal of the brown skeletons of their once stately trees. They recognize the trees are dead, infected with a disease responsible for the decimation of thousands and thousands of trees within their urban-wildland habitat. The high cost of cutting and removing several trees on a single property has prompted requests for financial assistance. If the tree is a threat to human safety, State funds are available; however, in Marin County, these funds are earmarked for hazard trees on public lands. Reimbursement on private property is not possible due to insufficient funding.
The emotional aspects of this devastating disease prompt people to look for curative steps and adopt any reasonable approach that will relieve their anxiety over losing additional infected trees and protect the health of their trees. Since there is no registered fungicide for P. ramorum, unlawful and unethical treatments are being marketed with both short- and long-term impacts. Unlawful pest control activities undermine the public's confidence in the entire pest control industry. Unscrupulous pesticide applicators harm the customer by imposing unwarranted financial impacts. The individual pays a high price, often thousands of dollars, for an ineffective treatment. After the treatment is deemed unsuccessful, complaints are filed and need to be investigated, an added cost to government, and further burdening taxpayers. The customer loses trust and is wary of treatment, even after pest control methods are legally available. Fortunately, treatments for P. ramorum are being tested, and some promising results are emerging for a registered pesticide treatment.
Sudden Oak Death has had many impacts at the individual and community levels. When it first appeared, it caused a public safety emergency. Local leaders persisted in their call to get technical and financial assistance to address the problem and they removed trees to maintain a safe environment. Individuals and communities continue to be plagued by losses of beloved trees. Quarantine measures are difficult to enforce for a pathogen distributed over densely populated areas on lands of many ownerships. The lack of a registered pesticide has created an underground market for treatments and created confusion about the best action to take to protect valued trees. We must continue to work together to limit the spread of this pathogen and prevent similar crises from occurring elsewhere.
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