Property owners, campers urged to take precautions to stem spread of infestation

By Miriam Raftery

September 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –A voracious new pest is gnawing its way through East County.  The gold-spotted oak borer has already killed over 21,500 trees in San Diego’s inland regions.  Infestations have been found on federal, state, private and Native American lands across 1,893 square miles.

“Has anyone driven through Japatul into Julian lately?  We did last weekend and it was a very SAD sight!  Almost all of the Oaks are BARE SKELETONS or half brown and going fast,” Jerry Williams of Deerhorn Valley wrote in an e-mail to ECM.