www.wvforestry.com
Joe Manchin III, Governor
Randy Dye, Director/State Forester
News Release: Oct. 18, 2007
Leslie Fitzwater, Public Information Specialist, (304) 558-2003 ext. 342
lfitzwater@wvcommerce.org
Contact: Barb Breshock, State Lands Manager, (304) 256-6775, breshock@hotmail.com
Gypsy Moths Take a Bite out of Greenbrier State Forest
Foresters plan harvest to salvage timber
Beckley, W.Va. - Division of Forestry officials report that nearly 60 acres of trees on Greenbrier State Forest were defoliated by gypsy moths this past spring and summer. These trees have little or no chance of regaining their health and will be harvested. State Lands Manager Barb Breshock said that typically 20 percent to 40 percent of all oak trees die after a single defoliation by gypsy moths, and once the tree is dead the root system dies with it, eliminating any chance for natural regeneration.
All live trees six inches and greater in diameter will be harvested on the nearly 60-acre site located on the east side of Kate’s Mountain in the southern end of the forest. Breshock said that although some of the trees in this area may not have suffered fatal damage, waiting to find out which ones may survive will greatly reduce the options for regeneration.
“Our intention is to harvest these trees before the stress of defoliation and other secondary pests kill them,” Breshock said. “By harvesting live trees we have a chance to regenerate this area by way of stump and root sprouts.”
Breshock noted that harvesting the trees while they are still living will enable the Division of Forestry to sell the timber at a higher value and help fund a gypsy moth spraying program to reduce the chances of more widespread defoliation on Greenbrier State Forest.
“Once the trees die the quality drops from saw log to pulpwood, about an 85 percent drop in value,” Breshock said.
The gypsy moth is an invasive insect species inadvertently introduced into Massachusetts in 1869. Since its entry into the United States, the gypsy moth has spread south and west at approximately 5-10 miles per year. Gypsy moths attack trees by feeding on their leaves. Oak species are the favorite food of gypsy moth caterpillars.
For more information about Greenbrier State Forest, visit the Division of Forestry’s Web site at www.wvforestry.com.
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