California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Dying Trees Called Resource for Homes

The fourth year of drought in California is expected to kill enough trees to provide lumber for 200,000 or more homes, state and federal forestry agencies said. The agencies are encouraging timber owners to salvage as many dead trees as possible, not only for the lumber but also to reduce fire hazards. Paul Baker, the federal Pacific Southwest regional forester, and Harold R. Walt, director of the state Department of Forestry, issued a joint statement saying visitors to the state’s forests should expect to see lots of red firs and pines that are dead or dying.