Have you noticed the pines

[riverat]

Have been turning brown and dropping their needles. I have been concerned over the last couple of weeks with the browning of the foliage of the pine browning and it's needles falling which is months early, and I am surrounded by huge white pines. This letter from UNH explains what is happening.
http://extension.unh.edu/articles/White-Pine-Needles-Are-Turning-Brown

[Bernie Girl]

Thanks for the article. I noticed this while walking around Barndoor Island last weekend.

[dt5150]

thanks for posting that, i was curious about it too. i thought it was odd that the needles were flying around already.

[Coolbreeze]

Bernie, I envy you right now, I love my walks around the interior of Barndoor. It is amazing how old some of the Pines are. Enjoy and take a few deep breaths for me!

[jeffk]

Yup, I was wondering as well and worried that the trees were in trouble. There were a LOT of them. Thanks for the info.

[barefootbay]

Despite what UNH says the white pines are in trouble. I have four young , formerly healthy white pines probably 25 yrs old. for the last 3 yrs they have lost many needles in the spring . Then again in the fall which is normal. Each year they needle loss is heavier than the last with fewer new needles being replaced. This year the loss has been the heaviest with what looks like scarce new needle buds. The trees are nearly bare and I suspect that they will die in the next year or so if this continues as it is.

[tis]

I think there are two things going on, unless as you said we are not being told the truth.

Some pines are in trouble, there is a disease that kills them. It can hit one and one right next to it is fine. There is also this turning brown in the spring and then they do bounce back. I hope the turning brown thing isn't a prelude to a few years down the road when the trees will get the disease and die.

[Pine Island Guy]

Despite what UNH says the white pines are in trouble.

I would contact the UNH Extension Service. They are very knowledgable about many topics, have been extremely helpful in the past and will probably either come out in person or may ask for photographs etc. We pay for them through our taxes, and from my perspective one of the best bargains in the State!

http://extension.unh.edu/About/Contact-us

-PIG

[jetlag100]

What about those beetles? They infect the tree and the tree starts to die and, then, there's winter burn, too!

[SteveA]

Having read the good info here on the white pine problems, I called the UNH folks about one of my Swamp Maples that just died this spring. Seems that my tree isn't the only one.

Healthy tree that has been at my LSP property just didn't make any leaves this year. There are a few new branches that have a few leaves, but other than that.. it appeares to be dead.

When you call them, you get connected to a volunteer, nice lady, took all the information, and promised to get back to me.