By Staci DaSilva
sdasilva@kcautv.com
Lewis & Clark Park staffers noticed about 100 of their Austrian pine trees going brown over the past 2 years. And now, they're chopping the infected trees down.
It wasn't something park officials wanted to do.
Chop down majestically tall trees that have been standing for over 50 years, but the infected stumps they leave behind tell the story.
District Park Supervisor Shane Bertsch said, "This summer, with the drought, we've had numerous trees die off because of the pine wilt disease."
Pine Wilt Disease is spread by pine sawyer beetles and turn healthy, green needles into brown ones.
"With the drought, it stressed the trees more and they were less susceptible to fight off things like this and it really affected the numbers that died off this year," said Bertsch.
The disease has never been found at Lewis and Clark Park until now. So the trees are coming down and will be burned.
The hope is to slow down the spread, but it's impossible to stop it altogether.
So in a few years, they may plant some ponderosa pine because they're not vulnerable to the disease.
Crews started chopping after Christmas and will finish up in a few weeks.
