What’s Happening to our Douglas firs?

Anyone spending time in the dryer forests of Southern Oregon will have seen the splashes of orange among the healthy green backdrop.  These splashes of color portend our future; they represent Douglas firs that are expiring.  As the trees die, the needles lose the healthy green chlorophyl that drives photosynthesis and produce the familiar orange splashes that increasingly dot the skyline of our hills.

Retired Southern Oregon OSU Extension forester Max Bennett has been studying this phenomenon for some years. Bennett will provide an account of his findings and conclusions during the next Southern Oregon Climate Action Now monthly open public meeting.  The program will occur on Tuesday August 29^th at 6:00 pm at the Medford Public Library. The presentation is free and open to the public.