Learn how to protect California oak trees from a deadly, invasive pest

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – The Palomar Mountain Fire Safe Council is inviting community members to a screening of a new video and live Q&A about fighting the Goldspotted Oak Borer, the invasive bug that has killed many thousands of San Diego County's signature oak trees. The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m., at San Diego County Fire Station 79, 21610 Crestline Road, Pauma Valley, on Palomar Mountain. Event is free of charge.

"Fighting the Goldspotted Oak Borer" is an instructional video guide that shows proven techniques for understanding, identifying, and treating GSOB. Oak Grove, a small San Diego backcountry community on the north slope of Palomar Mountain, is a success story in stopping an invasive, tree-killing pest from attacking California's beautiful native oaks. This film documents how they've done it and how California oak woodland stakeholders can save the greatest number of oak trees at the least cost.

The video shows how to save great oak trees by using the practical tools and techniques developed by UC Wildlife Biologist Dr. Tom Scott and Certified Arborist Bret Hutchinson, two of the most knowledgeable, experienced, boots-on-the-ground field scientists on the case. Scott and Hutchinson will be available for a Q&A session after the video screening.

"We need to take more action now against the Goldspotted Oak Borer because it threatens hundreds of thousands of acres of oaks with the potential for many millions in real estate loss," said Scott.

The Oak Grove GSOB Project is supported as a California Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Demonstration Project through the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County.

This event is hosted by Palomar Mountain Fire Safe Council and administered by the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County, in partnership with the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County. Funding is provided by the California Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program.

Submitted by Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County.