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3-31-2003 |
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2003 ICE DAMAGE SURVEY COMPLETED Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass announced today that the
West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), in cooperation with
the West Virginia Division of Forestry, has completed an aerial
survey of state forestlands for damage caused by the February 16
ice storm. A total of 306,634 acres of forest suffered damage. Commissioner
Douglass said that "in some areas, damaged trees were observed
on ridges and northern or eastern slopes and in others damage was
noted on southern slopes or in all directions." The counties
affected include Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson, Lewis,
Mason, Nicholas, Putnam, Roane, Webster, Wirt and Wood.
The majority of the damage occurred in Mason, Jackson, Calhoun,
Roane and Braxton Counties and the most common type of damage recorded
was branch breakage. However, in a number of timber stands, trees
suffered both branch breakage and snapped tops or were uprooted
and lying on the ground. In parts of Mason and Jackson Counties,
entire conifer stands were either uprooted or bent over and lying
on the ground. Hardwood species such as yellow poplar, black locust
and black cherry were particularly susceptible to limb breakage.
There was a great deal of damage recorded on other hardwood species
as well. WVDA Plant Industries Division Assistant Director and Forest Pathologist
S. Clark Haynes advises that if your forest stand experienced damage
from the ice storm, you need to watch for hazard trees when in those
stands. Haynes said that "any trees losing more than 75 percent
of their crown, leaning more than 45 degrees or laying on the ground
should be salvaged within one year to avoid severe degrade from
insects and fungi." For further information on insect and disease potential in damaged
stands, contact S. Clark Haynes, Assistant Director, WVDA Plant
Industries Division, 304-558-2212 or chaynes@ag.state.wv.us. For
information on salvaging and marketing damaged timber, contact
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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