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Feb. 16, 2017
Contact: Heidi Frei, 517-284-6133
Oak wilt management efforts under way on Belle Isle
Informational meetings set for Feb. 23
When oak wilt – a disease deadly to trees in the red oak family – was discovered in fall 2016 in trees at Belle Isle Park, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources quickly drafted a plan to contain and manage the disease in order to protect the historic forest and some of the state’s last remaining Shumard’s oaks.
A survey of the oaks on Belle Isle, Michigan’s 102nd state park, revealed the disease has been present for many years and may have killed as many as 112 trees, with many of those in the rare flatwoods forest near the center of the island park in the Detroit River. Oak wilt is capable of killing a tree within a matter of weeks.
To share information about the department’s oak wilt containment and tree protection efforts, the DNR will host two public informational meetings Thursday, Feb. 23, at Belle Isle:
- 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, 176 Lakeside Drive.
- 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Great Lakes Dossin Museum, 100 Strand Drive.
Information about oak wilt management in Belle Isle Park periodically will be updated on the DNR website.
What is oak wilt?
Oak wilt is a fungus that can spread from tree to tree through underground root connections, or grafts. Overland spread also is possible when diseased trees develop fungal mats. During the growing season, the sweet-smelling fungus attracts sap-feeding beetles that carry fungal spores to other wounded trees in much the same way as bees transport pollen.
What is being done?
In late December, crews completed the first management phase, severing the roots between infected and healthy trees using a plow outfitted with a special cutting blade. Later this month, dead oaks will be cut down and removed. This work must be completed before fungal mats develop and allow the disease to spread.
Many of the diseased trees slated for removal are located in the flatwoods forest, a sensitive habitat area. To prevent damage caused by heavy equipment, low-impact harvest techniques, including possible aid of a helicopter, will be used to transport felled logs to a staging area for processing.
Selected oaks in or near areas of known oak wilt will be injected with a fungistat that may prevent infection. Approximately 150 trees, including many of the island’s Shumard’s oaks, have been selected for fungistat treatment due to their landscape value. The DNR will continue to monitor for infected trees throughout the year.
Support for managing oak wilt on Belle Isle is provided in part by a grant to the Belle Isle Conservancy from the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.
What can you do?
It is likely that the oak wilt fungus came to Belle Isle on infected material like firewood. The DNR reminds travelers and state park visitors to leave wood at home and to instead buy and burn firewood at or near your destination – don’t bring it back home.
/Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download. It provides a close-up view of an oak wilt-infected tree in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula and shows the type of damage some of the trees on Belle Isle are experiencing./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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