Economic questions abound. Can a significant amount of the trees be harvested for lumber to offset the costs of removal and transportation? Will government funds be available for fire mitigation projects?
Economic questions abound. Can a significant amount of the trees be harvested for lumber to offset the costs of removal and transportation? Will government funds be available for fire mitigation projects?
In addition to issues of fire danger and water contamination, the future of the forest may be at stake. While some believe that the infestation is a natural event and nature should be allowed to run it's course, the severity of the current outbreak calls for long term forest management landscape plans to restore wildlife habitat and protect scenic and recreation values in an urban wildland interface.
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Mountain Pine Beetle Infestations |
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Mountain pine beetles (MPB) are the most important insect pest of Colorado's pine forests. MPB often kill large numbers of trees annually during outbreaks. |
The current Mountain Pine Beetle infestation affecting the forests of the western United States and Canada, may be more than just an historical occurrence. The effects of global warming, climate change and drought, may have created a situation that threatens an enormous number of lodge pole pines on private and public lands. The issues raised by this infestation are complex. Described by many as a slow burning fire, the destruction of so many trees raises the danger of wildfires, contamination of watersheds, and the balance of the forest ecosystem.
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During epidemics,
widespread tree mortality |
