The long-term battle to restore the Chesapeake Bay is quietly being waged right here – on the Deep Creek Tract of Redden State Forest in Georgetown, near the intersection of Rum Bridge Road and Rt. 404/18. That’s where Guy Cooper and Mike Green of the Delaware Forest Service are using heavy equipment to carefully move soft, sandy soil along the placid, sun-dappled waters of the nearby tax ditch. The methodical work is part of a proven strategy to lower the bank level in 17 key locations as a way to “reconnect” the artificial waterway to its natural floodplain. The new configuration will allow water from excessive rainfall events to overspill the banks and flow into nearby woodlands, letting the forest serve as a natural filter by absorbing excess sediment, nutrients, and pollutants.

The project is one thread in the wider fabric of the Nanticoke Watershed Restoration Plan – a cooperative strategy to improve the health of the Nanticoke Watershed, a key contributor to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The effort has involved local tax ditch officials, nonprofit groups such as the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, state agencies such as Delaware’s Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (DNREC) and the Delaware Forest Service, and federal partners such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Deep Creek covers 63 square miles and comprises one of 15 sub-watersheds that constitute the Chesapeake Bay Basin. These areas contain headwater forests for the Nanticoke River that also serve as important wildlife habitats for an abundance of unique plants and animals. The cost – about $1,000 per cut-out depending on the amount of soil and material to be moved – is funded by a five-year grant from the EPA administered by DNREC that targets non-point source pollution.

The plan to reconnect channelized waterways to forested floodplains has been implemented successfully in the region before: U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials restored 600 acres along the Pocomoke River in nearby Maryland, and last year a project was completed in Redden State Forest in the nearby Gravelly Branch sub-watershed.

For private landowners, federal agencies like the NRCS offer financial and technical assistance programs such as its Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) to incentivize private landowners to implement water quality projects such as planting trees along riparian areas. However, public lands such as those at Redden State Forest also offer unique opportunities for water quality restoration, according to Brian Jennings, Fish and Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Bay Field Office.

“Research shows that every one acre of flood plain can treat excess run off from four acres of agricultural fields” Jennings said. “In this project, we’re restoring 50 acres of floodplain, which works out to about 200 acres.”

According to Jennings, the natural hydrologic features of the connection points are designed to be triggered when the tax ditch channel achieves what is known as “bankfull discharge,” which would likely occur during a 1- to 2-year rainfall event – equivalent to approximately three inches of precipitation at a single time. Without the new cut-outs, a major storm would cause the ditch to act as a rapid conduit for excessive runoff from nearby fields and impervious surfaces: fast-tracking sediments, pollutants, and excessive nutrients downstream into the bay.

When the region is experiencing periods of lower precipitation, the advantages of the changes may not be always readily apparent, but they have proven worthwhile over the long haul.

According to Erich Burkentine, the Delaware Forest Service’s regional forester in Sussex County, the effort is showing signs of success: “It’s definitely working the way it is supposed to. Now that we’ve had a bit more rainfall this year than recent years, we can see how the water has been diverted into the woodlands in places where the reconnects have been installed.”

Though the project is just a small part of the overall Chesapeake Bay Watershed restoration, Jennings is quick to acknowledge one of the program’s key partners – managers of the local tax ditch associations – who must give approval to install the new structures after receiving assurances that the newly-reconfigured banks will not destabilize existing tax ditch right-of-ways.

In addition to improved water quality, reconnecting the channels can help reduce flooding downstream and also provide habitat for key species that thrive in forest wetland ecosystems.

“We’re trying to restore the natural function of the forests in the flood plain. Not only do we want good water quality, but that will also translate into quality wildlife habitat,” Jennings said.

More information:

Brian Jennings, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

brian_jennings@fws.gov

302-684-4423 (office)

703-501-0593 (cell)

What’s wrong with my sycamore?

Got a sick tree? Call the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service at 302-698-4500 to get help and find out more information.

American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is a native tree that can be affected by a fungal disease known as anthracnose. Several factors such as wet weather and lower average temperatures have combined to make this a more severe year for this condition. While many of the trees in the sycamore family are showing signs of stress, experts at the Delaware Forest Service believe that the majority of these will recover and leaf out normally as temperatures warm toward summer.

If you have a sycamore tree – or its close relative, the London or the Oriental plane tree – then you might have noticed that the tree has been affected by a type of blight known as anthracnose, which is caused by a fungus (Apiognomonia venta) that can affect the buds, leaves, shoots, and twigs. This problem is common throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, including Delaware. Because the fungus overwinters in cankers on twigs and branches of diseased trees, some of the major contributing factors are the level of rainfall and the average daily temperatures present in the area during spring. This year, cool and wet conditions have been especially favorable to the development of anthracnose.

Signs of anthracnose

Anthracnose can be present in any one of several stages of twig and leaf development: Twig blight occurs before the leaves appear, with buds dying before they open. In this stage, small black dots (the fungus) are often seen on the bark of dead twigs. Shoot blight can happen as the young leaves start to emerge, and is often characterized by classic symptoms of small brown, wrinkled leaves (see photo). Even the fully-grown leaves that emerge can be infected by spores present in the twig cankers. This is manifested by the irregular appearance of small or large light brown dead spots along the vein. Eventually, dark brown spots on diseased areas can result in the leaves dying and falling off prematurely.

Severe cases can result in cankers appearing on large limbs, which are often killed and may need to be removed by pruning.

Mitigating factors

Fungal spores are spread by rainfall. Although fungal diseases thrive in moist conditions, early-spring temperatures are the most critical factor in disease severity. Average temperatures in the range of 50 to 55 degrees during bud break and early-leaf emergence are highly conducive to severe disease, whereas temperatures above 60 degrees usually result in slight outbreaks.

According to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, affected trees that lose their leaves will usually produce a healthy new crop as weather warms and discourages new infections. However, repeated infection can stress the trees and make it susceptible to infection by other pests, such as borers.

What you can do now
Experts recommend raking and destroying fallen leaves and twigs to remove the fungus and prevent future infections. Diseased or dead branches should be pruned or removed to remove the fungus. And it’s always a good idea to water trees or fertilize during periods of drought to maintain tree vigor.

When selecting a sycamore or plane tree for a new planting, choose more resistant species, such as the Oriental plane, the London plane, and lastly, the American sycamore. According to a UD extension fact sheet, “some cultivars of London plane such as Columbia, Liberty, and the Bloodgood have a high level of resistance to anthracnose and would be preferred.”

While there are fungicides available for smaller trees and possibly systemic trunk injections for larger trees that can be applied in the fall, it is best to consult someone trained in disease identification such as a certified arborist or reputable tree care company. If the tree does not have anthracnose, then fungicides will not help: other problems such as insects, drought, or herbicide overspray can affect sycamores and it is best to identify the exact cause of the problem before resorting to control efforts.

Information in this update was adapted from a University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet prepared by Bob Mulrooney –
http://extension.udel.edu/factsheet/sycamore-anthracnose/

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Delaware Celebrates Arbor Day at Blackbird State Forest – Adds 85 Acres of Sussex County Forestland Thanks to Open Space Program

[Photos included – click on images for full-size, high resolution versions]

Photos of the EAB traps are available for media use on Flickr.
Photos of the Emerald Ash Borer are available for media use from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

DOVER – Hanging purple beetle eaters?

No, they’re not lyrics from a 1958 novelty song, but instead are vital tools in Delaware’s fight to protect the First State’s trees from a dangerous forest pest.

Delaware Department of Agriculture staff members are placing triangular purple traps in trees across Delaware in 54 locations, in all three counties, designed to detect whether a tree-killing insect has made its way into Delaware.

The traps, which contain a nontoxic chemical lure, will attract an insect known as the Emerald Ash Borer, if it’s nearby. The Emerald Ash Borer can devastate ash trees, which make up one percent of Delaware’s forests. Green ash trees are common in southern Delaware along stream banks, and white ash is often found in northern Delaware’s upland forests and as a street tree in some neighborhoods.

“It kills ash trees within just a few years by burrowing under the ash tree’s bark and starving the tree to death,” said Jim Kroon, Delaware’s pest survey coordinator for the Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Section. “We hope the Emerald Ash Borer stays out of Delaware, but need to monitor for it to make sure that’s the case.”

The Department of Agriculture has set the traps every year since 2008, with most traps set near highways and in municipal areas. While the traps have so far thankfully come up empty, EAB has been found within an hour’s drive of state lines in Maryland and Pennsylvania. EAB can spread naturally at a rate of three miles a year, but it is often carried in firewood and commercial products containing ash.

“We don’t want this pest to hitch a ride into Delaware. To help prevent the spread, campers and visitors should buy only local firewood or firewood with a U.S. Department of Agriculture treatment stamp,” said Dr. Faith Kuehn, Plant Industries manager.

The combination of the chemical lure and bright purple color in the traps has been found to attract the insects, Kroon said. The traps will be placed in ash trees 10 to 20 feet off the ground. Most traps will be hung along roads and public right-of-ways, and on private property with permission of the landowner. They pose no risk to humans or pets, but the glue coating the trap is extremely sticky and messy if touched.

Residents who have questions about Emerald Ash Borer, think their trees may be infested or see a fallen trap should contact Kroon at 302-698-4586.

# # #

Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520

Contact: Ashley Peebles, (302) 698-4551
Email: ashley.peebles@delaware.gov

The Delaware Forest Service has announced the winners of its annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest, which featured the theme “Trees are terrific – in all shapes and sizes!” This year, approximately 3,600 students participated in the competition.

This year’s statewide winner is Stephen Venable of Milford’s Honor Academy, who will be recognized along with winners from each county by Governor Jack A. Markell at the Delaware Arbor Day Ceremony on Tuesday, May 7 at 11 a.m., Blackbird State Forest Education Center, 2 Cedar Brae Lane, Townsend, DE 19734. To view a complete gallery of the winners, visit the following web link: http://dda.delaware.gov/forestry/arborpost13.shtml

New Castle County Winners

Kindergarten          Giana Zamichieli — Kathleen Wilbur Elementary, Bear (click for poster)

Grade 1-2               Kate Connolly — The Independence School, Newark (click for poster)

Grade 3-4               Maya Rigor — Christ the Teacher, Newark (click for poster)

Grade 5                   Julianna Thawley—Christ the Teacher, Newark (click for poster)

Kent County Winners

Kindergarten        SuNora Lewis — Booker T Washington Elementary, Dover (click for poster)

Grade 1-2              Emma Crane —  W.B. Simpson Elementary, Camden-Wyoming (click for poster)

Grade 3-4              Miranda Pantoja— Holy Cross, Dover (click for poster)

Grade 5                  Naomi Bright— W.B. Simpson Elementary, Camden-Wyoming (click for poster)

Sussex County Winners

Kindergarten         Brooke Rhue — Rehoboth Elementary, Rehoboth (click for poster)

Grade 1-2              Brittany Valentin-Pegueros — H.O. Brittingham Elementary, Milton (click for poster)

Grade 3-4              Stephen Venable —  Honor Academy, Milford (click for poster)

Grade 5                 Grace Winston — Winston Learning Academy, Milford (click for poster)