Dying Trees

Hello neighbors,
As you may have noticed, Summit Park is experiencing an increased mortality of its precious trees. The reasons are complex and the solutions are obvious. It seems our local beetle population has taken off and are infesting the larger older White Fir and Douglas-Fir trees. It’s the sudden death of what seemed to be a healthy tree that is alarming. Not only do these, now red in color, pose an increased fire risk, they often will threaten homes and power lines. It is the recommendation of the Summit Park HOA that home owners identify any dead or dying trees on their property. Once this determination has been made, the preferred treatment to help prevent cross infestation is the total removal of the tree or trees. This link has been added to assist home owner in understanding this issue and to help identify infested trees.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5157004.pdf

Two other measures can be deployed which have had limited success, chemical and pheromone. Both are designed for small scale application and best utilized for high-value trees. The removal of these beetle infested trees and the development of defensible space greatly reduces the possibility of the igniting of your home during a wildland fire. Currently the only funding available to assist with this effort is our Tree Bounty program provided to paying members. See web page for additional information. It is my hope that we, a community as a whole, will recognize the substantial advantage to a cooperative effort and contribute annually. Once we have reliable and consistent capital, the HOA can provide financial assistance for home fire preventive projects.

Thank you,

Mike Quinones
Fire Safety Information Coordinator
Summit Park HOA