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  • From: <eureka AT hctc.net>
  • To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Beetle Invasion in N.E.
  • Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:53:21 -0600

The problem here is nobody--not even the government--is telling them not to clear everything. In fact, as far as I can tell the extension agents and soil conservation districts are the ones actually encouraging this, and there are financial incentives for land owners to do so. I don't understand why these agencies don't see the impact this has on erosion and water quality. The only agency I know that is very concerned is the river authority and their hands are tied, as the majority of their funding is for cleaning up messes rather than educating and pre-empting them.

My neighbor and I have had many good conversations about ecology over the years, and I do so admire his ability as an alternative builder to think outside the box, so I was (as you recall) extremely floored when he cleared the land around us, including bull dozing the creeks, destroying a lot more than just our privacy. Although he bounces a lot of ideas off us about future projects, he did not once ask what we thought of this idea before he began, and continued the destruction well after we let him know our thoughts and gave him oak wilt information. As an afterthough he asked me what kind of grass he should plant along the denuded creek, and I gave him some native suggestions, and begged him not to use invasive KR. He swears he did not plant KR, but it is suddenly all over our property and his. It's heavily promoted by the aforementioned agencies.

He recently asked my husband if we have forgiven yet, and my husband said no. We all remain friends. But I will not hesitate to sue him if his erosion causes my land to erode, or if my oaks contract oak wilt from his mistakes. And I have never been a litigious person.

--Sage

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 08:26:59 -0800 (PST)
bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com> wrote:
I forgot to add in my first reply. Where I grew up , most of the country people would have listened to you and followed much of your instructions, IF : You didn't tell them the gov't was making them do it. And, you did not condescend to them (and having a southern accent would be helpful) :-) ....bobford



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--- On Wed, 11/5/08, eureka AT hctc.net <eureka AT hctc.net> wrote:

From: eureka AT hctc.net <eureka AT hctc.net>
Subject: Re: [Homestead] Beetle Invasion in N.E.
To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 9:06 AM
We have Oak Wilt, carried by a beetle dangerously close to
us, about 15 minutes away. It is also often spread through
firewood, some idiot cutting down an oak that's died
from it and selling the wood, or using the same chain saw
afterwards without cleaing it. If you've visited my blog
you understand the size of our oaks and concern around here.

Another thing the article brings up is the loss of property
values in the area where the destruction, and preventative
destruction is taking place. One thing I am big on as a
botanist is encouraging people to have trees of all ages,
including babies and teenagers, so to speak since landscapes
are dynamic. This helps in maintaining property value. I am
so often amazed that people's landscapes include only
the mature (because everything else has been cleared away,
such as my neighbor's place) or in new subdivision built
on scraped ground, young trees of the same relative age
brought in for landscaping. Diversity isn't just limited
to species, but should involve life stages as well.

Maybe those of you managing woodlots have an understanding
of this, but in Texas very few do. Large ranches go to great
lengths to take out what they see as undesirable underbrush
through controlled burns. I understand they want grass and
have little need of firewood, but they don't even
protect their riparian areas. We make sure on our property
we have trees of all ages.

--Sage

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 05:15:53 -0800 (PST)
bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com> wrote:
>> From this am Wash Post. This sounds like a
significant pestilence in Susan Jane's neck of the woods
....bobf
> > >
------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Authorities Hope Beetle Invasion Can Be Ground to a
Halt
> Crystal Franciosi, a U.S. Department of Agriculture
tree climber, records her findings after checking for Asian
longhorned beetles in Worcester, Mass. (Stephan Savoia - AP)

> > WORCESTER, Mass. -- A wood-devouring beetle has gained
a foothold in New England, and authorities plan to cut down
large numbers of infested trees and grind them up to stop
the pest from spreading to the region's celebrated
forests and ravaging the timber, tourism and maple-syrup
industries
> > > > >
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR2008110403574.html?hpid=sec-nation
> > > _______________________________________________
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