Shoshone National Forest

Status of the outbreak

Of the Shoshone's 2.4 million acres, 1.3 million are forested.

The spruce bark beetle, Douglas-fir beetle, and mountain pine beetle are present.

• 2000 to 2005 aerial survey acres infested = 387,900 (30% of forested acres)
• 2006 and 2007 aerial survey additional acres = 62,000
• Total acres affected = 449,900 (35% of forested acres)

Forest response

Timber and fuels program elements include work to

• Salvage bug-killed, dead, and dying trees
  • Reduce fuels
  • Furnish wood products
• Harvest live trees to make the forest less susceptible to insects and wildfire
  • Reduced stocking levels will lessen competition for nutrients, create defensible space, and reduce hazardous fuels
  • Furnish wood products
• Renew the forested landscape
  • Regeneration surveys after wildfires to ensure trees are growing
  • Annually plant seedlings Forest wide
  • In 2010, 100,000 seedlings will be planted on Carter Mountain
  • Collect seeds from disease-resistant whitebark pine trees
• Fuels reduction
  • Working with local governments to implement community wildfire protection plans in wildland urban interface areas
  • Combine mechanical treatments and prescribed burning to reduce fuels

Fuel reduction and forest health work on the Shoshone (PDF 42k)

Vegetation management

The goal of vegetation management in response to the insect infestation is to create a healthier, stronger, sustainable forest that will

• Be better able to resist natural disturbances from insects and wildfire
• Protect watersheds
• Meet the needs of wildlife for their habitat
• Meet human needs for water, recreation, scenery, and forest products
• Increase security of infrastructure from the impacts of wildfire
• Lead to reduced suppression costs and increased public and firefighter safety

Addressing forest health has been a Forest emphasis area since 2002. The Shoshone's timber and fuels programs plan complementary work to mitigate impacts from insect infestations, with more importance placed around high value areas such as communities, private property, recreation facilities, and infrastructure.

Further, activities are planned to contribute to long-term ecological restoration and protect watershed health.

Map showing the bark beetle infestation on the Shoshone (PDF 1.6 MB)

Photographs

Beetle-killed trees on the Shoshone

• Carter Mountain (PDF 783k)
• Carter Mountain (PDF 272k)
• North Fork of the Shoshone River corridor (PDF 844k)
• Close-up of beetle damage (PDF 641k)

Looking ahead

Vegetation management specialists will work with the Forest Service research and development branch to anticipate vegetative changes that could result from climate change.

Rocky Mountain Region Bark Beetle Web site

Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet Forest Service publications Web site

Wyoming State Forestry Division Web site

National Firewise Communities program