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Millions of trees are dying

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More than 12 million trees have died in California during the past four years as a result of what is believed to be the most cataclysmic drought in state history. That’s the finding from researchers at the U.S. Forest Service who told the Los Angeles Times this week that they haven’t seen so many trees die so quickly since the mid-1970s, when that period itself saw more than 14 million trees perish in what was [then] called the worst drought ever.

In California’s 33 million acres of forest land, the starkest evidence of the drought’s toll can be seen in hundreds of thousands of pine trees the majority of which are now brick colored with broken branches and needles. Forest Service officials say that “each red tree is a dead tree.” The agency last month examined more than 8.2 million acres of forest land and found dead trees on nearly 1 million acres as a result of the drought. The one million acres of dead trees is said to be about the size of Rhode Island.

“When you start thinking about what it takes for a tree—which is usually a fairly hearty type of plant—to die off, it’s giving you a pretty clear signal of just how intense the drought has been,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center. Fuchs explained that the cause of death is not because of the drought specifically, but because of the dreaded bark beetle. The tiny pests—no larger than a grain of rice—are said to thrive in warm, dry conditions and feast on drought-weakened trees.

The insects are said to be particularly successful in attacking trees when they are stressed, “… and right now all of the trees are stressed,” said Tom Smith, a forest pest management specialist for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Smith has been studying the bark beetle for 15 years and said this year’s damage is the worst he has ever encountered.

“It’s scary in areas—the amount of dead and dying trees I am seeing,” Smith added. “It’s epidemic, and it’s probably going to get even worse.”

The state department of forestry has already added extra firefighters to its staff in preparation for the upcoming fire season. Ideally, the department would also like to see landowners clear dry brush and dead trees and thin out overcrowded stands of timber that could potentially fuel a blaze.

If climate conditions along the West Coast continue as they have been, the tree loss may get a lot worse. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) most recent “seasonal drought outlook” report for the region forecasts above-normal temperatures and “persistence or intensification” of the drought.

“Relief is highly unlikely,” said NOAA forecaster Rich Tinker. “It is almost certain that millions more trees will die over the course of the upcoming summer as the drought situation continues and becomes ever more long term. The situation is pretty severe.”

In other drought news, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has been caught in recent weeks letting huge amounts of fresh water—more than 100,000 gallons—flow down curbs and gullies as workers repair and upgrade reservoirs and pipelines. Residents in Eagle Rock protested when the DWP one recent afternoon directed more than 70,000 gallons of water into storm drains from a reservoir that need maintenance. The sight of this wasted reserve of drinking water was particularly galling to the residents since Californians have been ordered to conserve as much water as possible or face stiff fines.

As a result of the waste, on Wednesday, the DWP explained to the city council how it plans to reuse water from its pipes, tanks and reservoirs in the future, when they are being inspected or repaired. Among other solutions, the DWP said it will now send discharged water into sewers instead of storm drains, and also bring in tanker trucks to try to save some of the precious resource. Now, instead of going straight to the ocean, the water can be treated for future use.

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