Drought increasing tree deaths in Fidalgo Forest, Washington
12/17/2019 12:00:00 AM
CATEGORIES:
Plants & Wildlife
AFFECTED AREAS:
Skagit County, WA
Start Date: 6/1/2019
- End Date: 12/31/2019
A project assessing tree and shrub species in the 2,800 acre Fidalgo Forest revealed that summer drought conditions affected the health of trees. Cedars and hemlocks displayed an observable and quantifiable increase in drought-caused stress and mortality, according to a University of Washington forest scientist.
Near Whistle Lake, 39 percent of Western hemlocks sand 23 percent of Western red cedars had died. Evidence suggested that many of those trees died in the past two years, underscoring the likelihood of drought being responsible for the deaths.
Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com) (Mount Vernon, Wash.), Dec. 17, 2019
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