White pine trees are facing higher mortality rates in Alleghany and Ashe counties
The NC Forest Service says parts of northwest NC's forests are being threatened by an insect and disease duo, which is shaping up to be a much bigger problem down the road.
Insects are feeding on white pine trees, which leads to a possible deadly infection.
Brandon Keener, Alleghany's county ranger, says the NC forest service first noticed the impact on trees last summer, and researchers are now looking for a solution.
"We want to make sure that we keep the forest in North Carolina as healthy as possible," he said.
He says an insect called the white pine bast scale feeds on the trees, leading to a disease called caliciopsis canker. The insect and disease complex duo are killing white pines across Alleghany and Ashe counties.
"Here in western North Carolina in particular, the white pine is a very important species," Keener said. "It's probably the most harvested species of tree that we have."
Affected trees are riddled with patches of dead and withering pine needles, and some begin bleeding sap in an effort to heal.
"It starts as localized spots and then it progresses to whole limbs dying back," Keener said. "Eventually, if it progresses far enough, the whole tree will die."
Keener says logging is an important part of Northwest North Carolina's industry, and white pines make up a significant portion of the trees that are harvested.
"If we have the potential of losing that sort of resource, then that is very, very detrimental to the economy," he said.
But Keener also says it goes beyond commercial value.
"We're looking out for the health of the forest," he said. "Not only as far as making money off of harvest and trees, but keeping it beautiful, keeping it vibrant, and keeping it aesthetically pleasing for people to come in and enjoy areas like this."
And like any other illness, Keener says the forest service is looking for a solution.
"Some of them are curable, some of them are treatable, and some of them are, unfortunately, we're hoping that this is one that's treatable," he said.
Keener says the NC Forest Service is partnering with NC State University to research and investigate possible solutions, to keep Alleghany and Ashe County's forests healthy.
