Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation this week received a $75,000 grant from the state to help combat an invasive beetle infestation in the Phillips Preserve forest in Tisbury.
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation this week received a $75,000 grant from the state to help combat an invasive beetle infestation in the Phillips Preserve forest in Tisbury.
The state’s Department of Fish and Game announced the funding Friday, and Sheriff’s Meadow hopes it will boost the nonprofit’s efforts to beat back the southern pine beetle.
This summer, officials said the destructive beetle was rapidly spreading through the preserve near Lake Tashmoo, killing Island pitch pines.
The grant will allow Sheriff’s Meadow to continue removing beetle-infested trees from the forest, as well as thinning out tree-growth to prevent further spread of the pest.
“It enables us to hire a licensed timber harvester, with the right sized equipment, to go in and safely and quickly do this work,” Mr. Moore said Friday. “We’re in the process of milling the logs into lumber, and actually getting some beautiful lumber out of this.”
The southern pine beetle, which can attack pitch pine trees, feeds on living inner-bark tissue, meaning that the species does not thrive on deadwood. Thinning out the forest growth, Mr. Moore said, disrupts the bugs’ chemical messaging system, making it more difficult for the species to spread.
“You definitely have to approach it with a lot of humility, because it’s a very powerful force of nature,” he said. “It’s been a really interesting learning experience.”
Work to mitigate the spread remains ongoing and Sheriff’s Meadow is pursuing a permit from the state to burn forest debris.
Comments
Any lessons to be learned
Peter A. Guest Vineyard HavenAny lessons to be learned from the Red Pine die-off in the 1980s?I worked for Vineyard Pine Lumber at that time. We thinned out a lot of the trees and made "garden timbers" out of them.
What an unbelievable waste of
Roddy Seasonal VisitorWhat an unbelievable waste of taxpayer money. $75,000? If you're lucky that'll only pay the salaries of one or two low-level entitled administrative employees, with absolutely nothing left over to actually remove any trees or truly address the alleged "issue". I love how nonsense such as this is peddled by crafting panic-mongering words like "invasive beetle infestation". A better use of the money would be to send it to combat the real invasive infestation at our southern border.
How much border protection
Virgil Starkwell Vineyard HavenHow much border protection will that money buy? A few rolls of razor wire, which doesn't seem very effective. I'd rather spend it to save the pines.
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