The California Native Plant Society's San Diego Chapter meeting presentation this month was "The Gold-spotted Oak Borer: A New Non-native Pest in California" by Kim Camilli a forest pathologist for Cal Fire. I first found about this pest that is killing oaks while attending a talk given by Forest Service entomologist Tom Coleman in 2008 in Alpine. Well people in the audience, not many of us, "lost it" (some crying) when he informed us that there will be no oaks in San Diego and possibly all of California at this rate of infestation spread. I blew a fuse when after asking him how many people were working on this, he said just him. Fast forward to October 2010, some progress has been made, more agencies, people are on the job and more is known about this pest. But this is not enough and in the mean time up to 20,000 trees are dead and more are dying from the girdling that the Gold-spotted Oak borer causes. SaveOurOaks.org was started today. Check the links we provided below and donate some money. We are using the money to print brochures, flyers and bumperstickers. We will be tabling at events to spread the word. This bug is thought to have spread on firewood brought in by campers from Arizona to the Cleveland National Forest Descanso area. So passing out flyers and educating people about not transporting oak firewood out of the area and the proper ways to handle or use firewood to help slow the spread, will be important work. So please speak for the oaks with a donation and pass on this information to others. And sign up here for control updates, posts, volunteer information and events we will be attending and hosting (Oak Festival May 2011)
http://groups.ucanr.org/GSOB/files/70958.pdf Information Tri-fold Brochure (PDF)
http://groups.ucanr.org/GSOB/files/78640.pdf Oak Firewood Advisory Flyer (PDF)
http://groups.ucanr.org/GSOB/files/78641.pdf Advisory for Vendors & Sellers Flyer (PDF)
