The Urban-Wildland Interface 



In recent decades many people have chosen to build homes 

 within forested lands, in what is termed the urban-wildland inter- 

 face. This trend has occurred throughout the cotmtn' and sign- 

 ificant amounts of forest land have been affected. Both pest and 

 wildfire problems have increased as a result, and many of these 

 forests can be maintained in a healthv condition onlv with great 

 difficulty. 



Construction of roads and houses and installation of utilities 

 often restilts in direct injuiy to tree roots, crowns, and boles. 

 Changed water drainage patterns and soil compaction place addi- 

 tional stress on trees. Trees often die as a direct result of injuiy 

 or are weakened and succumb to drought or attack by pests. 



hi developed forests, indi\idual trees take on added value and 

 pest problems that might not be important in a t\'pical forest 

 situation demand attention. Where homes are at risk, the poten- 

 tial losses froin forest fires are vastly increased and fire control 

 takes on added importance. 



Oak wit disease in Texas and Minnesota is an example of a pest 

 problem in developed areas. When forested lands in these two 

 States (where the problem is most critical) are developed for 

 homesites, oak wilt disease is already present or becomes estab- 

 lished when trees are woimded during construction. Thus, a 

 disease that othenvise would be of relatively minor significance 

 becomes veiy important because of the high value attached to 

 the native oaks left on hotise lots. Control efforts are reqtiired 

 because of the high value of the trees. 



In the last few years, drought and bark beetles have combined to 

 kill large numbers of trees in Jeffrey pine stands in the Lake 

 Tahoe Basin of California and Nevada. The dead trees add to the 

 fire hazard and present difficult}' in protecting properties. 



20 Forest Health Concerns 



