Vermont officials are seeking the public’s help in tracking a new beech tree disease that’s spreading throughout the state.

Beech Leaf Disease was first detected last October in Vernon and Dummerston, said Josh Halman, forest health program manager with Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. Since then, it’s spread to dozens of towns, including the Upper Valley communities of Windsor, Hartland, Hartford, Pomfret, Woodstock, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford and Corinth.

“It spreads pretty rapidly,” Halman said. The disease’s appearance is shown through dark bands that appear on the trees leaves. “It does have potential to reach every part of the state. We have beech in every county.”

Those who find evidence of Beech Leaf Disease are encouraged to take photographs and submit them via vtinvasives.org/get-involved/report-it.

Beech Leaf Disease was first detected in Ohio in 2012. It has since spread to Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia, according to a September 2023 U.S. Forest Service report.

By comparison, Emerald Ash Borer — an invasive species that feasts on ash trees, eventually killing them — was first detected in Michigan in 2002 and wasn’t found in Vermont until 2018.

The beech disease is caused by nematodes — very small worm-like creatures — which make their way into leaves and buds on the trees. This causes leaves to die and prevents buds from blooming, leading to fewer leaves.

So far, young beech trees seem to be particularly susceptible and if infected, they tend to die in two to five years.

“It can really set a tree back in terms of how it functions for the year,” Halman said. It is of even more concern because beech trees are already grappling with beech bark disease.

There is no consensus or firm answer on how Beech Leaf Disease is being spread. Working theories include through water or wind, Halman said.

“It makes it harder to treat; it makes it harder to predict where it’s going to show up next,” he said. “It’s a very important question that needs to be answered and there’s a lot of researchers that are working on it now.”

Scientists also are unsure how to treat Beech Leaf Disease, but are working on coming up with potential solutions.

“Right now it’s a tricky one to deal with on the landscape for sure,” Halman said.

Beech trees, which are native to Vermont, are one of the state’s most common tree species. They’re primarily found in forests and turn a dark yellow during the fall.

“It’ll have an impact on anything from what you see when you’re walking your dog in the forest to what visitors see when they’re coming up for foliage,” Halman said.

They’re also mast-producing trees, which means they produce food, including beechnuts that squirrels, opossums, deer, bear and birds eat.

“Losing a species like that, or having that species in decline, could really reduce a food source for species that rely on that,” Halman said.

Hartford Tree Warden Jeff Arnold said that, while he’s aware of Beech Leaf Disease, he hasn’t heard any complaints from residents about it.

“They’re mainly found in the forest or public parks really,” he said. “They’re not planted along the streets.”

In recent years, the Hartford Tree Board and town officials have been dealing with Emerald Ash Borer, which is generally more visible to the public. Hartford has used chemicals to treat some ash trees in town that are in more prominent locations, such as the high school and the park near the courthouse in downtown White River Junction.

Because ash trees tend to line more roadways than beech trees, there are concerns that as they die they can cause more issues for communities.

“That’s a much bigger problem,” Arnold said.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.