WY/CO: Official Says Beetle-Killed Trees a Future Hazard

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Associated Press
Official says beetle-killed trees a future hazard
By MATT JOYCE , 01.16.09, 11:22 AM EST
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The pine beetle epidemic chewing through forests in Wyoming/Colorado could endanger roads, power lines, other infrastructure as millions of acres of trees fall to the ground, a top USFS official said.

Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Rick Cables told Wyoming lawmakers the fallen trees also provide fuel for forest fires and complicate access for firefighting.

There are more than 3 million acres of dead/dying forests in the two states.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/01/ ... 31682.html

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http://www.coloradoan.com
January 16, 2009

Officials: Beetles wiping out pines in Medicine Bow area

Survey shows pine bark beetle attacks escalating in Wyoming and Colorado

BY TREVOR HUGHES
TrevorHughes @coloradoan.com

USFS officials predict all mature lodgepole pines in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest will be dead within five years, possibly sooner.

The spread of pine bark beetles attacking trees all over Colorado and Wyoming has escalated.

According to the USFS, the number of acres in Wyoming's Medicine Bow attacked by beetles grew from 233,000 acres in 2007 to 432,000 acres last year, an 85 percent increase.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090 ... RSERVICE02

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billingsgazette.com
Pine beetle infestation might slow
By JEREMY PELZER Casper Star-Tribune
Posted: Saturday, January 23, 2010 11:50 pm

CHEYENNE — The mountain bark beetle epidemic may be slowing in southern Wyoming, forest officials say, as the insects are running out of adult lodgepole pine trees to infest.

But the mountain bark beetle continues to ravage through western and northeastern Wyoming...

The beetles have infested more than 700,000 acres of forest in southern Wyoming and 2.9 million acres in Colorado, according to a USFS aerial survey released Friday. That’s up from 2.5 million acres infested in 2008.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-a ... 002e0.html

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Musical charms deadly for forest beetle

Updated: Tuesday, 23 Feb 2010, 8:49 AM MST
Published : Tuesday, 23 Feb 2010, 8:49 AM MST
* News Anchor: Deanna Sauceda
* Web Producer: Bill Diven

SANTA FE (KRQE) - The bark beetle has ravaged forests in the West, and now a New Mexico composer has discovered a way to destroy the beetles with their own songs.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/krqe_morni ... est-beetle

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Bark beetles: Forest Service says more dead trees falling

By The Associated Press
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010 12:46 PM MDT

CHEYENNE — Strong wind, recent rain, melting snow, beetle infestation - a dangerous combination in [Colorado/Wyoming] forests.

Don’t camp, park.., linger beneath any of millions of trees killed by bark beetles....

[Rotting] roots.., muddy ground.., strong wind [are] bringing down large numbers of trees onto roads, trails.., campsites....

Beetles have killed 3.6M acres of [CO/WY] pine trees.., enough dead trees to cover...Connecticut. [B]efore the muddy conditions.., 100,000 trees a day were falling down....

http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/artic ... news71.txt

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http://www.skyhidailynews.com
Forest Service shifts focus from fire prevention to hazard trees
by Reid Armstrong
Sky Hi News Grand County, CO Colorado

Nearly a decade into the largest bark beetle outbreak in Colorado history, USFS managers are refocusing...priorities. Dozens of...roads/trails...are...red flagged for logging.... [F]unds are...redirected to treat...remaining Forest Service lands shar[ing] border towns/residential communities.

Work is hindered...where...wilderness designation prevents...use of chainsaws along much of the trail....

[M]anagers are taking another look at the landscape with an eye toward trees...threaten[ing] power lines, roads and trails.

http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/2 ... ofile=1067