Three of us rode in Calverton on Thursday morning. I hadn't been there since early last Spring. There were entire acres of dead standing and downed oaks in a number of sections. It looked like a fire had swepth through but there were no charred trees. A very sad sight to see. After the ride I contacted the DEC and was directed to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County for information regarding this problem. Attached is an article which addresses the problem. From the article it appears that this problem has been coming our way for a while. The article indicates a number of reasons for the loss of these types of trees but I'm not sure there is one definitive reason. Also one possible reason, not indicated in the article, might also be attributed to the information provided by this article (http://www.longislandskywatch.com/). This link sites aerosols left from Chem trails that have effected our atmosphere.

There is not a lot we can do as individuals ... maybe some day volunteers will be asked to help clear the dead wood. One thing for sure ... the amount of dead wood is an extreme fire hazard ... especially with the dry winter we are having. Be safe riding in these woods and report any smoke/fire via 911 or the DEC at 631-444-0285.