App lets you report trees in Sacramento plagued with Dutch elm disease Share Updated: 10:37 PM PDT May 11, 2021 Share Updated: 10:37 PM PDT May 11, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript PROPOSED CLEANUP MONEY COULD BE AN EXCUSE TO SWEEP UP ENCAMPMENTS. OF SACRAMENTO’S OLDEST AND LARGEST TREES AND NOW, THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE OUT FOR A WALK OR BIKE RIDE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY HELP PROTECT THESE TREES. LISA: KCRA 3’S EDIE LAMBERT JOINS US LIVE WITH A LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN ALL DO TO HELP THE EXPERTS SPOT AND TRACK THIS DISEASE. EDIE: MILLIONS OF ELM TREES HAVE BEEN KILLED BY DUTCH ELM DISEASE, AND AT THIS POINT, SACRAMENTO HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST GROUPS OF THEM IN THE WORLD. THEY’RE PART OF WHAT KEEPS THE CITY SHADED THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND THEY CAN GROW AS TALL AS 130 FEET. THAT IS WHY THE SACRAMENTO TREE FOUNDATION IS ASKING FOR HELP. THEY HAVE A TRAINING VIDEO FOR WHAT THEY CALL CITIZEN SCIENTISTS, ANYONE WHO’S OUT WALKING OR BIKING. SO THESE VOLUNTEERS CAN LEAR HOW TO SPOT SIGNS OF DUTCH ELM DISEASE. IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A PROBLEM, THEY CAN LOG IT ON A SPECIAL APP. THAT WILL GET THE EXPERTS OUT TO ASSESS THE TREE. THESE TREES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST AND OLDEST IN THE CITY, AND HERE’S THE THING, ONCE THEY’RE GONE, THEY MAY NEVER BE REPLACEABLE. >> A LOT OF THESE TREES GREW IN PLACE BEFORE THE CITY WA DEVELOPED AS THE WAY IT IS TODAY. BACK THEN, THE STREETS WERE NARROWER, THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR PEDESTRIANS, AND HORSE AND BUGGY , THAT KIND OF THING, SO THERE WAS A LOT MORE SPACE FOR THOSE TREES TO GROW. SO WE’RE NOT TOTALLY SURE BUT WE DON’T THINK THAT TREES PLANTED IN TODAY’S BUILT-OUT ENVIRONMENT WOULD EVER ACHIEVE THE SIZE AND MAJESTY OF THE TREES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODA EDIE: BECAUSE THEY JUST DON’T HAVE THE SPACE FOR ROOTS, AND THE STRUCTURE? >> EXACTLY, EXACTLY. EDIE: UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE A TREE GETS DUTCH ELM DISEASE, IT HAS TO BE CUT DOWN, THERE’S NO TREATMENT AND THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE DISEASE FROM SPREADING. SO IT’S PRETTY CRITICAL TO KEEP IT CONTAINED. YOU’LL FIND MORE INFORMATION AT SAC-TREE.COM. WE ALSO HAVE A LINK ON THE FREE KCRA APP. THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OTHER GREAT INFORMATION, LIKE PREPARING YOUR TREES FOR THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS IMPORTANT. THEY GIVE US SHADE, CLEANER, THEY ARE GORGEOUS. BRIAN: WAY TO TREAT IT. HAVING TO TAKE THE WHOLE TREE DO