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Oak Wilt Quarantine: Towns Under Strict New Rules
17 Feb
Summary
- Entire towns and parts of others now face oak wilt quarantine restrictions.
- Oak wilt, a destructive fungus, blocks water vessels in oak trees.
- Quarantine prohibits moving oak wood and debris to prevent disease spread.
Several towns in Ontario County have been placed under an oak wilt quarantine district. The quarantine affects the entire towns of South Bristol, Middlesex, and Italy, as well as parts of Bristol and Naples. This measure was enacted after the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed the presence of oak wilt-infected trees on both public and private properties.
Oak wilt is a destructive fungal disease first discovered in Wisconsin in 1944. It works by blocking the water-conducing vessels within host trees, leading to wilting and eventual death. Red oak trees are particularly vulnerable, often succumbing to the disease within weeks of infection. The disease spreads via interconnected root systems and through beetles that carry fungal spores.
To prevent further spread, restrictions are in place on moving firewood, oak logs, and branch debris out of the quarantine zone. Such materials must be chipped to less than one inch in two dimensions or otherwise processed to prevent fungal spore mat growth. Other wood movement is also regulated. Infected trees, along with some neighboring oaks, were removed, and stumps were treated with herbicide.
