Western larch leaves

Several folks have voiced alarm that a lot of larch are turning brown in the Red Meadow and Moose creek drainages. Elliott Meyer, Silviculture Forester for the Flathead National Forest’s Hungry Horse/Glacier View and Spotted Bear Ranger Districts, offered this explanation:

“I have been working up the North Fork this summer and have seen the same thing as far south as Coal Creek. What you are seeing is larch needle cast (Meria laricis). It is a fungal disease that forms during certain spring weather patterns. Larch are quite resilient to it due to the fact that they are deciduous. Often, it is common that trees shed infected needles and then re-sprout healthy ones within the same growing season. Trees can look pretty rough during an infection, but it rarely to never kills mature trees — though, it can kill seedlings and saplings on rare occasions. Typically, the worst effect is a temporary reduction in tree growth. I remember a few years back when the west side of Hungry Horse Reservoir had a severe outbreak and you would never know looking at the area now. …I feel confident the trees should fully recover within a year or two. Please keep me posted if the issue persists and I will be happy to swing by and give a more thorough look.”