Six Rivers’ Roads Re-Opened After Winter Closure for Port-Orford-Cedar Protection

Port Orford Cedar stand [photo by By U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region]

With the warmer, drier conditions of summer upon us, Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur announced today that roads in the central and northern parts of the forest, where Port-Orford-cedar (POC) are prevalent, have reopened for the season. Campgrounds in that same area—E-Ne-Nuck, Fish Lake and East Fork—are also open.

“Recent good weather has helped the soils dry out, so we can now open our remaining campgroundsand roads that we had closed to protect Port-Orford-cedar,” said McArthur.

The forest closes campgrounds, roads and trails with the onset of the fall rainy season to reduce the risk of spreading Phytophthora lateralis (PL), the non-native pathogen that causes POC root disease. Under wet conditions, pathogen-laden soil can be spread from infected to non-infected areas. The pathogen—or spores—live in water and wet soil, and are easily transported by vehicles, including mountain bikes, off-highway vehicles, and heavy equipment, as well as by people and animals.

According to McArthur, “Because these trees are such an important component of our riparian ecosystems, one of our 2016 Del Norte Resource Advisory Council-funded projects propagated disease-resistant POC seeds.” He added, “In spring 2018, we planted these seedlings along LittleJones Creek on the Smith River National Recreation Area, where POC had been significantly reducedby the root disease.”

A complete list of roads closed in the fall is available at www.fs.usda.gov/detail/srnf/news- events/?cid=FSEPRD600942. For additional information about POC, visitwww.fs.usda.gov/goto/srnf/PortOrfordCedar or contact Jeff Jones at (707) 441-3553.