Humber Park Trailhead will be closed for up to three days starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, for hazard oak tree removal, according to San Bernardino National Forest Public Information Officer Zachary Behrens. The dead oaks are infested with goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), an invasive beetle that was introduced to Idyllwild in oak firewood.
Once felled, the trees will be moved to a local staging area and covered with plastic sheeting for two years to minimize further spread of the beetle.
GOSB has been present in Idyllwild since 2012, likely arriving via oak firewood from the San Diego area, where the first known infestations in CA occurred. D-shaped holes & bark staining can indicate their presence. For more information and to report suspected cases visit http://gsob.org.
