Post WWII Earth civilizations have been primarily built on "western led" commercial and industrial global harmony, although only the recently living generations of people have experienced the developments and repercussions of the continued world wide trading network.
"Invasive" species of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and hybrids (such as lichens), have been carried to the far corners of the planet by trade since before the Roman Republic, but only recently has the real impact of these transitory species been measured and recorded. We now have a reckoning on what animals such as the earthworm, Norway rat, North American Crayfish and plants such as the Scotch broom, and Armenian blackberry can do when introduced to a new habitat devoid of predators.
To date, of these mentioned species rarely has there been a "genocidal" species such as the Emerald Ash borer. Introduced to the United States from Asia via wood packing material, the beetle has quickly killed a majority of Ash trees in the Eastern, and Mid-western states, some states have even declared their Ash population extinct.
The Emerald Ash Borer has been found in trees in Forest Grove, Oregon in 2022. The species has been in the country for over 20 years, and there have been many policies put into place to try and slow the spread of this devastating insect. The main policy to effect camping is the transporting of firewood from place to place within the country, as once it reaches the firewood stage most consumers cannot properly identify infected Ash wood from another hardwood. Oregon State Parks has had the "Burn it where you buy it" rule in place for several years, in hopes of slowing the spread if the beetle were to slip into the state unidentified. However, as of December 2020 the USDA has removed the Federal restrictions on the transporting of wood products.
While many people in the country have shown disdain for the rule of the Federal Government, there is a silver lining to this one! The Santiam Canyon has been struck with a recent disaster, and the sale of local wood can help offset the cost of rebuilding their lives in the canyon. Much of the wood burned in the fire has been reject for commercial lumber sales, so is found rotting on the properties of many of these land owners. The cutting and clearing of this rejected wood still costs money for the land owner to remove, and this is taking an economic toll on some of the people there. Also because of the fires, freezing, and heat, the trees in the region are heavily stressed causing a likelihood that they may be infected.
Lastly; for more info on how you can help the survival of our native Ash species the Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia), please visit the Oregon State University info page at - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/eab .
Please check back at the Taylor Park website for updates and new content!
Comments