The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Ag officials ask people to stop stripping the bark off elm trees





State agricultural officials are asking people to stop stripping bark off slippery elm trees after hundreds of trees were damaged last year.

The slippery elm bark can be used a safe and effective treatment for sore throat or respiratory symptoms such as a cough. The bark can also be used for decorative applications, such as parts of a rocking chair or banister.

However, stripping large portions of the bark can kill the tree, forestry experts warn. Smaller strips one or two inches wide are better because the tree can recover.

Officials said about 100 trees on individual homes and many more on federal property in the Daniel Boone National Forest were damaged due to bark stripping.


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