Multiple Insect Infestations Will Change Colorado Forests For Generations

[hatrack]

Drought and aging forests have combined to create an unprecedented series of insect outbreaks that will change the look of some Colorado landscapes for generations.

A dozen species of native beetle pests are attacking virtually every coniferous-forest type in the state, from the piñon-juniper woodlands of southern Colorado to the high-elevation spruce and fir forests of the northern ranges, according to a new state report.

"I don't think we've seen insect activity in our forests on this scale since the settlement period," said Tom Eager, an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service in Montrose. "In some areas, it's a jaw-dropper."

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In southwest Colorado, beetles are devastating a regional symbol. "The piñon pine infestation is the worst we've ever seen," state forester Jim Hubbard told Colorado lawmakers Wednesday. The outbreak of ips beetles could kill 80 percent of the southwestern piñons before it peters out. Piñon nuts are an important wildlife food that many people harvest. "We will lose most of our piñons due to this infestation and will have to start over," Hubbard said."

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http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1921240,00.html

[travisleit01]

1. Well I'm sure Bill Owens is right on top of this! n/t

[Adams Wulff]

2. Well I am sure he is!!!

I'll bet our illustrious governor is right now on the phone with the best minds Weyerhauser, Georgia-Pacific, and International Paper have to offer, so that this precious resource doesn't go to waste without lining some corporate whore's bottom line.