Everyone knows Washington State is home to some of the country’s most beautiful forests, but what’s behind the bark often tells a more interesting story. DNR, along with the U.S. Forest Service, recently published its 2009 Forest Health Highlights report. This annual report helps to identify the condition of nearly 22 million acres of Washington State forestland.
An unusually dry 2009 led to an increase in tree stress and insect success, driving acres of damage up. Last year also saw an uptick in overall tree damage from 2008. Much of the damage can be blamed on more insects infesting and breeding within trees. Some notable changes from this past year:
- Douglas-fir tussock moth activity increased in Okanogan County from 300 acres in 2008 to 3,500 acres in 2009 (3,500 acres may not sound like much, but when it’s your tree that’s losing all its needles and dripping with caterpillars, it’s serious).
- The highest number of acres with Douglas-fir beetle damage in western Washington in the last 30 years was observed in 2009 – these beetles infest windthrown trees which have built up due to those big winter windstorms of the last couple years.
Every year, all forested acres in Washington are surveyed from the air to record recent tree damage. This aerial survey is made possible by cooperation between DNR and the U.S. Forest Service. For more information on the health of Washington State forests, check out Forest Health Highlights in Washington – 2009.
