New Disease Infects Doug Firs

"The Northwest's Douglas firs -- synonymous with Christmas trees and lush evergreen forests -- are susceptible to a fast-spreading disease that's decimating oak trees in California, scientists announced yesterday. Researchers have found "sudden oak death" infecting Douglas firs in a small patch of trees in Northern California. It doesn't appear to kill the trees but withers new growth and can pass the disease to other vulnerable plants, such as huckleberries and certain rhododendrons."