Wild Fires & Tree Check Time
Wild Fires & Tree Check Time plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
Hard to believe it is August already and with it comes the peak time of emergence for the Asian longhorned beetle and while it has been a predominately East Coast pest USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Gary Woodward says it's a good time to check you trees and take some precautions.
WOODWARD: The Asian Longhorned beetle came to the U.S. in the 90's on wool packing material, that's crates and pallets into Brooklyn, NY where it was first spotted. We've had infestations in Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio and and further instances in other parts of New York. One of the things we also ask folks to be cognizant of is to not move firewood. Firewood is one of the prime ways this beetle is spread from one location to the next. So if you are going to buy firewood, use it where you buy it.
Wildfires continue to plague areas of the Pacific Northwest. The Sniption Fire near Condon, Oregon has now been 100% contained and mop up work is being done although smoke continues to cause problems. A new fire near Ellensburg, WA has already destroyed a dozen homes and threatens dozens more. That fire, the Snag Canyon fire was started by lightening. Seven or eight other fires continue to burn in both Washington and Oregon.
Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.
If someone offered you $3 for every square foot of grass that you replaced with a more water efficient option in your landscaping, would you do it? Drought stricken L.A. is doing just that and I have to tell you, if our city made that offer I would jump at the chance for numerous reasons, not the least being I'm sick of paying to mow, feed, and weed the stuff. Funny thing, our lawn service told us we needed to water even more because our grass wasn't growing fast enough! While on walks through my neighborhood I have seen more water being wasted with broken or misaligned sprinklers heads. In effect people are just pouring their money down the drain and depleting a much needed water supply that could be used for more important things, like drinking water and growing crops. Why do we feel the need to turn even the naturally driest of terrains into an oasis? Because of water shortages though, people are finally starting to find their way out of the "my lawn has to be the greenest on the block" box. Replacing a large portion of grass with native low-water plants and a little bit of rock can save water, energy and money. Why would anyone say no to that?
Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
