spectr17
09-10-2001, 11:04 PM
$71 million sought in war against oak disease
By Richard Halstead, MArin News.com.
8/22/01
Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced a bill yesterday that would provide more than $71 million over the next five years to fight the sudden oak death epidemic, which has killed tens of thousands of trees in Marin and six other northern California counties.
"California's beloved oak trees are in grave peril. From our yards to our forests, more and more trees are dying from sudden oak death syndrome," the California Democrat said in a press release.
The bill would provide $71.25 million in federal funds to state and local authorities for research, monitoring, management and treatment of the disease. The bill goes first to the Senate's agricultural committee, whose chairman is Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, said Boxer aide David Sandretti.
U.S. Representative Sam Farr, D-Carmel, also is seeking a $500,000 appropriation to pay for additional research, said Farr's press secretary, Betsy Lordan. If the expenditure is approved, the money could be available by Oct. 1, Lordan said.
Boxer made clear what is at stake.
"By threatening our trees, sudden oak death syndrome can increase fire hazards in our forests. It can also lead to reduced property values by threatening surrounding landscapes," she said.
Boxer cited a U.S. Forest Service estimate that the loss of oaks due to sudden oak death can reduce property values by 3 percent or more. She noted that in Marin alone. tree removal and additional firefighting needs are expected to cost more than $6 million.
"I am extraordinarily happy to see our federal representatives trying to step in and try to get us the resources we need to deal with this scourge of the environment," said Marin County Supervisor Cynthia Murray.
Regulations aimed at preventing the spread of the epidemic were issued last month by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and similar federal requirements are expected to be unveiled soon.
The disease's list of known hosts includes: coast live oak, black oak, Shreve's oak, tanoak, madrone, California bay laurel, huckleberry, rhododendron and arrowwood.
Last month, the Board of Supervisors allocated $10,000 in county funds to develop a map of dead and dying oaks in Marin and $34,500 to create a plan for disposing of the dead trees. The U.S. Forest Service has also set aside $30,000 to aid in the development of the green waste disposal plan.
The state Legislature is expected to recommend that the state spend about $4.7 million during the next fiscal year to cope with the fallout from sudden oak death, said Cathy Christian, Marin's Sacramento lobbyist. At the end of next week, the Legislature is scheduled to submit its budget plan to Gov. Gray Davis.
Last month, Davis announced that his revised budget for fiscal year 2001-2002 would include $1.9 million to combat sudden oak death.
What are the chances that he'll bump up that total at the Legislature's urging?
"I wouldn't want to speculate," Christian said.
By Richard Halstead, MArin News.com.
8/22/01
Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced a bill yesterday that would provide more than $71 million over the next five years to fight the sudden oak death epidemic, which has killed tens of thousands of trees in Marin and six other northern California counties.
"California's beloved oak trees are in grave peril. From our yards to our forests, more and more trees are dying from sudden oak death syndrome," the California Democrat said in a press release.
The bill would provide $71.25 million in federal funds to state and local authorities for research, monitoring, management and treatment of the disease. The bill goes first to the Senate's agricultural committee, whose chairman is Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, said Boxer aide David Sandretti.
U.S. Representative Sam Farr, D-Carmel, also is seeking a $500,000 appropriation to pay for additional research, said Farr's press secretary, Betsy Lordan. If the expenditure is approved, the money could be available by Oct. 1, Lordan said.
Boxer made clear what is at stake.
"By threatening our trees, sudden oak death syndrome can increase fire hazards in our forests. It can also lead to reduced property values by threatening surrounding landscapes," she said.
Boxer cited a U.S. Forest Service estimate that the loss of oaks due to sudden oak death can reduce property values by 3 percent or more. She noted that in Marin alone. tree removal and additional firefighting needs are expected to cost more than $6 million.
"I am extraordinarily happy to see our federal representatives trying to step in and try to get us the resources we need to deal with this scourge of the environment," said Marin County Supervisor Cynthia Murray.
Regulations aimed at preventing the spread of the epidemic were issued last month by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and similar federal requirements are expected to be unveiled soon.
The disease's list of known hosts includes: coast live oak, black oak, Shreve's oak, tanoak, madrone, California bay laurel, huckleberry, rhododendron and arrowwood.
Last month, the Board of Supervisors allocated $10,000 in county funds to develop a map of dead and dying oaks in Marin and $34,500 to create a plan for disposing of the dead trees. The U.S. Forest Service has also set aside $30,000 to aid in the development of the green waste disposal plan.
The state Legislature is expected to recommend that the state spend about $4.7 million during the next fiscal year to cope with the fallout from sudden oak death, said Cathy Christian, Marin's Sacramento lobbyist. At the end of next week, the Legislature is scheduled to submit its budget plan to Gov. Gray Davis.
Last month, Davis announced that his revised budget for fiscal year 2001-2002 would include $1.9 million to combat sudden oak death.
What are the chances that he'll bump up that total at the Legislature's urging?
"I wouldn't want to speculate," Christian said.