Oregon Forestry Warns The Dry Spring Is Hurting Area Trees

Oregon trees are being hurt by drought and warmer temperatures.  Christine Buhl, with the Oregon Department of Forestry, says a warmer and drier spring is also bad.

"Spring is the most active growth period for trees," she said.  "They're just waking up out of dormancy and that's the big push to grow.  So, when you have a drier spring that dampens that growth rate."

A warmer than normal winter allows insects to feed longer and a lack of cold temperatures this winter didn't limit populations, giving these pests more strength to attack trees.

"Stressing trees reduces their defenses, therefor it makes them more susceptible to these insects that are primarily opportunistic on stressed trees.  They're not typically going after the health trees."

Buhl said if you have trees on your property, using sprinklers to water them isn't effective.  They need slow, deep watering over a period of time.

She adds when you plant trees, use species that will adapt to Oregon's warmer and drier climate.

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