Sudden oak death continues to spread in Southern Oregon

Sudden oak death, a tree disease caused by a fungal-like pathogen, can lead to bleeding cankers, leaf blight and rapid dieoff in a number of plant and tree species. The disease was first detected in northern California in the mid-1990s, and has been slowly spreading in Southern Oregon since 2001. Newly infected trees were recently found in Humbug Mountain State Park near Port Orford, leading to renewed treatment efforts by state agencies. 

Gabriela Ritokova is a forest pathologist with the Oregon Department of Forestry. She joins us with more details about the disease and efforts to contain it.

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