White Pine Distress observed around Schroon Lake

In 2020, the Schroon Lake Environmental Committee had member reports of white pines around the lake in various stages of decline. We have reported these to NYS DEC. White pine trees are on the decline statewide, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

DEC Scientist Response 9/2020: “DEC suspects they are victims of the white pine needle disease that is everywhere.  NYS is experiencing a landscape level white pine decline. The factors associated with the decline differ from the south to the northeast Here, it is mostly caused by the needle disease (a complex of 4 fungal pathogens), poor site/soil conditions, wet, warm spring weather that makes disease load higher, periodic drought, and the presence of other insects and pathogens that stress the tree (Caliciopsis canker, white pine bast scale, and blister rust in some areas).

 Needle disease severity is much worse in unmanaged stands, overcrowded conditions. There’s not much to tell individual homeowners that are dealing with it. Solutions really only come from improved forest management. We are cooperating with many other states on a multi-million-dollar proposal to set up experimental treatments in state forests that show how management can mitigate the decline. It’s a massive, overarching project that also aims to do a lot of outreach and education, and assess timber market restrictions on white pine and generate new markets for it. We are also working with ESF* on this and has been scheduling regional meetings to discuss the white pine project, as well as provide other Forest Health updates. *ESF- SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry College.

 With the needle disease, 2nd and 3rd year needles become infected and begin to discolor in May and June. By the end of June-July, the needles drop. The tree becomes defoliated, with only 1st year needles remaining green on the twigs. Trees eventually recover, but then experience the same defoliation the next year. Successive years of this will cause mortality. Weather patterns have changed, and are only making things worse. We have warm wet springs that favor the proliferation of the fungal spores. And then we have the periodic droughts that further stress the tree, unfortunately, we do not see that weather pattern changing any time soon.

 The work we plan to do will focus on sites that are good for white pine. I think we will have to get used to just not having it as widespread as we do now. Trees on good sites with good management will probably persist, but trees on poor sites will eventually succumb to the disease”