Sudden Oak Death is becoming a big enough concern that even Congress is paying attention.
Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley recently joined with a state legislator, Rep. David Brock Smith, to create a task forceon the tree disease.
So far, it is contained to Curry County on Oregon's South Coast, but it has killed large numbers of oak trees in coastal California as well, and defoliated conifers, too. We hear from Sen. Merkley and Rep. Brock Smith in pre-recorded interviews and consult forest pathologist Sarah Navarro of the Oregon Department of Forestry.