State foresters record first tree deaths in Maine from beech leaf disease

State foresters Tuesday recorded the first tree mortalities from beech leaf disease.

The disease is caused my an invasive microscopic worm. It was first detected in the state four years ago and has now spread to all 16 counties.

Aaron Bergdahl, a forest pathologist with the Maine Forest Service, said beech trees don't appear to have any resistance to the disease, which kills both saplings and mature trees.

"Which is particularly you know, alarming, because we're looking at possibly losing a species of tree that's very common in Maine and very ecologically important to some of Maine's iconic wildlife, big and small," he said.

That includes black bears who rely on beech nuts for food, Bergdahl said. To limit the spread of beech leaf disease, he urges people not to transport firewood.

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