LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - JUNE 23, 2019 Le Roy Central School Students, Parents, and Community Residents: In my correspondence with you back in October, I talked about upcoming preventative maintenance work that was necessary to hopefully improve the declining health and safety of the English Copper Beech on our campus which stands between Woodward Memorial Library and the Wolcott Street School. After consultation with multiple experts, the tree’s current health and condition has significantly deteriorated since the fall. Since 2015, the District has worked diligently to treat and maintain the Copper Beech’s health and viability. With the tree having Kretzchmaria deusta (K. deusta), a common root and butt decay pathogen, this fungus is aggressive on both weakened trees and ones with healthy crowns. The decay caused by K. deusta is somewhat unique in that the fungus creates holes in cell walls by degrading cellulose. This degradation reduces the tensile strength of the wood leaving seriously infected trees to often snap off near ground level. Additionally, we have been informed that it is highly likely the tree also has two-lined chestnut borer. Though this black beetle is normally found in oak trees, the borer attacks trees that suffer stress from trunk and root issues. The two-lined chestnut borer larvae are able to girdle and kill branches/trees. The first signs of a borer attack is usually wilted foliage that turns brown but remains attached to the branches. Our Copper Beech tree is currently showing these signs that it is infested. Typically, the crown is attacked during the first year, with the remaining live portions of the branches and trunk being infested during the second and third years. Ultimately, our Copper Beech is decaying from two directions, both from the inside and outside of the tree. As I mentioned before, we have treated the tree aggressively over the past four-plus years with multiple experts using special mulch, fungi treatments, and cabling in attempts to strengthen and prolong the lifespan of the tree. Though these efforts have been well intended, we have not been able to stop the inevitable. Regrettably, the Copper Beech must be taken down to ensure our students and community’s safety on our campus. On a positive note, a “cutting process” was done from the tree in the early spring to genetically reproduce an identical match. With a process such as this, it does take a couple of years to materialize. We are hopeful to plant an identical Copper Beech somewhere on our campus in the years to come. Merritt Holly, Superintendent of Schools mholly@leroycsd.org Le Roy Central School District Letter To: