States are issuing quarantine on Walnut ........

[Jerry Bailey]

Got this in a newsletter today, funny I haven't heard of this before today ........
anyone else seen anything about this ?

Black Walnut Availability
Currently, the United States has been suffering from an outbreak of what has been called "Thousand Cankers Disease" (see http://www.thousandcankers.com for more info), which has affected black walnut trees in many areas around the nation. Currently, walnut sales in 9 states have been halted, and dozens of other states have halted sales in a large number of counties within their boundaries. This disease is spreading quickly, and is causing widespread devastation to our native walnut trees. New quarantines are being issued monthly, in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. Walnut in areas under quarantine can only be sold if kiln dried, with squared edges, and can contain no bark.

Currently, we are located in a region which is not under quarantine, so we are still able to sell green/undried walnut to our customers. This said, though, walnut logs are becoming very scarce, and quite expensive when available. We will continue to sell walnut while we can, but will only be offering it on a very limited basis, and only after thorough inspection to ensure that no affected wood is being sold. Please be aware of this issue, as we all need to do our part to ensure that our nation's natural resources are protected for future generations!

 

[John King]

Source?

What's the source of quoted info? - John

 

[Jerry Bailey]

as stated, I received it in a newsletter, but is also posted here:
http://www.turningblanks.net/servlet/the-template/newsletterapril2014/Page

and I checked http://www.thousandcankers.com/ ..........
there was a report, but no ban in my state/counties

which is why I've asked if anyone else has heard anything about this ...............

 

[Bill Boehme]

If you do a web search, you will find numerous sources including the US Forest Service. The disease was first found in New Mexico in about 1990 and since has spread to most western states. It primarily attacks Eastern Black Walnut, but also infests other native walnut species. There is a very tiny walnut twig beetle that introduces the newly discovered fungus geosmithia morbida into the phloem. The beetle comes from Central America, but the origin of the fungus is unknown. The infestation has recently been discovered in urban eastern black walnut trees in Knoxville, Tennessee which can be bad news for that part of the country. The length of time it takes to kill a tree seems to be 3 to 10 years from first sign of infection. Currently there is no effective treatment and once an infection is introduced into a tree, there may not be any way to keep the tree from dying.

 

[n7bsn]

I know it has the keepers of the only known grove of "pure" Claro Walnut worried, most "Claro" is actually a hybrid

 

[Richard Jones]

http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant&pest/disease-tcd.shtml

Not in my county yet. Forestry folks placed some traps here in the village a year or so ago at a friends business, but removed them after nothing was found. I guess they stayed there for 6 months or so.