Sudden Oak Death Contained on Southern Oregon Coast (AUDIO)

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Sudden Oak Syndrome

(SALEM) - The project to eradicate sudden oak death on the southern Oregon coast is getting good results so far.

While a five year multi-agency effort to completely get rid of the tree-killing disease has stopped short of reaching its ultimate goal, officials are encouraged that it hasn't spread beyond its original detection site east of Brookings in Curry County:

Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Plant Division, says the current site includes less than 88 acres of infected plant material, and remains the only place in Oregon where sudden oak death has been found in the natural environment.

Hilburn says it remains a mystery as to how sudden oak death got to southwest Oregon in the first place, but he's encouraged it hasn't been found anywhere else in the state's natural environment:

Hilburn adds that they continue to look for signs that the disease has spread elsewhere in the state.

I`m Kevin Hays reporting for Salem-News.com