There are forests in Colorado, Wyoming, and South
Dakota that are experiencing bark beetle epidemics at a historically
unprecedented scale.
The purpose of this website is to share information
and links about the beetles, the epidemics, the forest mortality,
and resulting impacts.
WATCH OUT !
Falling trees are always a hazard when traveling through the forest. Here are some guidelines for visitors:
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Be aware of your surroundings and avoid dense patches of dead trees. They can fall without warning.
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Stay out of the forest when there are strong winds that could blow down trees. If you are already in the forest when winds kick up, head to a clearing out of reach of any potential falling trees.
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Place tents and park vehicles in areas where they will not be hit if a tree falls.
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When driving in remote areas of the forest, park close to a main road rather than on a spur or one-way section to avoid being trapped if a tree falls across the road.
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Have an ax or chain saw to remove fallen trees from roads in case you become trapped.
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Do not rely on cell phones for safety, as there is no coverage in many areas of the national forest.
The Incident
Commander, Clint Kyhl, talks about the Bark Beetle - click on icon
to view video clip (courtesy of Wyoming Public Television)
Quick Time Movie (512
KB, 8 minutes, 30 seconds)
Windows Media (512 KB,
8 minutes, 30 seconds)
Transcript
of video clip
What is the
Forest Service doing?
The Forest Service’s Bark Beetle Incident
Implementation Plan 2007 – 2011 proposes integrated vegetation
treatments to address the impacts of the bark beetle epidemic. The
Plan provides a strategy with a detailed multi-year implementation
schedule of projects to enable the Forest Service to efficiently
and effectively mitigate the impacts of the bark beetle epidemic.
The projects planned in the implementation schedule reduce hazardous
fuels and wildfire risk to the forest, homes, communities, critical
watersheds and reduce hazards to recreation and public infrastructure.
Click on these links to view the Plan and maps.
Executive
Summary
Implementation
Plan Narrative
Maps
Regional
Projects
Colorado
South
Dakota
Wyoming
Mortality
Maps
These maps show
the areas of tree mortality caused by the beetle.
Colorado
(2.4 MB)
South
Dakota (70 KB)
Wyoming
(1.4 MB)
Entire
Region 2 (2.4 MB)
Forest
Insect and Disease Aerial Survey Data
Videos
Wildfire!
Preventing Home Ignitions Featuring Jack Cohen, a physical
scientist that has studied the effects of fire on structures for
years.
Protecting
Your Home from Wildfire Also featuring Jack Cohen,
a dynamic speaker who is extremely knowledgeable about the effects
of fire.
Fact
Sheets
These give detailed information
about the beetles, why they are active in the region, and the damage
that they cause.
Forest
and Tree Health Publication - Mountain Pine Beetle
Wyoming:
Beetle Epidemic
Our
Future Forests
Colorado
State University Cooperative Extension
Website: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html
PDF: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.pdf
Northern Colorado
Bark Beetle Cooperative Document
Final
Assessment Strategy (PDF, 21 MB)
Other
Useful Links
Front
Range Pine Beetle Website
Forest Health Management
Forest
Legacy Brochure
Northwest
Colorado's Council of Governments Forest Health Page
Rocky Mountain Research
Station: Red
Hand of Death
Lodgepole
Pine Workshop for Managers
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