Mountain Pine Beetle in Summit County and the High Country
Pine beetle has returned to the high country in devastating numbers recently due to various factors. Five years of drought in aging forests has created a smorgasbord for dining beetles. To understand the beetle and its impacts on our landscape check out the following links. The Canadian government has spent $40 million on research of the beetle infestation in the Northwest. In 2006, they appropriated $400 million. They have great info to share at:
Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative Canadian Forest Service
Mountain Pine Video in British Columbia This explains some disturbing points on how global warming is affecting the beetle infestations.
How Pine Beetle Infestation Contributes to CO2 Production (video)
Summit County has a Task Force that meets every other Thursday at the Best Western in Frisco. They have valuable information on the this site:
Summit County Pine Beetle Task Force Homepage
The following link will bring up some photos of what you should look for in pine beetle infestations. There are other malidies that affect pines, such as salt damage near roads, that should not be confused with pine beetle.
The Colorado State Forest Service has a fact sheet on Mountain Pine Beetle at:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html
What should I do about my trees?