In the Arkansas River Valley, mountain pine beetle (MPB) populations began expanding rapidly in 1995.
Approximately 300 acres showed some evidence of beetle-caused mortality. Most of this mortality was in dense ponderosa pine stands with the exception of the Twin Lakes area, where lodgepole pine was also being impacted.
Since 1995, mountain pine beetle activity has continued to expand, especially in ponderosa pine stands from Buena Vista south to Highway 50.

Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) is generally referred to the size of a kitchen match head.

In August 1998, just prior to that year's beetle flight, mountain pine beetle activity was evident on more than 5000 acres, with greatest concentrations in the Squaw Creek area.
A cooperative effort between the USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management and the Colorado State Forest Service was initiated in 1998 to evaluate and address, as appropriate, ongoing mountain pine beetle activity on all impacted ownerships.
The Colorado State Forest Service assists private landowners and the State Land Board with MPB on their lands. The CSFS identifies and marks infested trees on private land, subdivisions, and state land. CSFS also provides a list of qualified contractors to remove and treat infested trees and a list of contractors who provide preventive spraying services. CSFS also provides forest management services to private land and state land to help reduce the susceptibility of pine stands to MPB and improve forest health.
CSFS efforts are coordinated with the USFS and BLM, to effectively treat the area regardless of political boundaries. The CSFS Salida District is available to Chaffee and Lake counties for technical assistance in their efforts to enforce the Colorado Pest Control Act.
The Bureau of Land Management's goal as a federal land management agency is to protect the forest resources on the public lands under its jurisdiction.
While, productive forest lands are managed for sustained yield, the first priorities on these local lands are to enhance other vegetation goals and provide for insect and disease protection.
The BLM is an active partner in Chaffee and adjacent Counties with the Colorado State Forest Service and the USFS treating mountain pine beetles and other forest pests and pathogenes across jurisdictional lines and boundaries.
The United States Forest Service (USFS) manages the national forests. This management supports the philosophy of "Caring for the Land and Serving the People."
The USFS cares for our national forests by sustaining healthy forest. The timber sale contract is one tool used to manage forest health. This starts with a proposed action and a process of public and internal input (scoping). An interdisciplinary team develops the projects with public and interagency coordination. The environmental document displays the analysis. The proposed action in this case is to care for mountain pine beetle infested timber stands. The mountain pine beetle infested stands are located and the boundaries of units with individual attacked/diseased trees are marked to be removed. The timber sale contract is awarded to the highest bidder. The USFS administers the timber sale contract. Post sale activities such as planting and thinning are completed after the sale is closed to achieve the forest health/ecosystem goals for the national forest.
In response to the mountain pine beetle epidemic, the U. S. Forest Service prepared and sold the Squaw Creek and Threemile Creek Timber Sales to salvage mountain pine beetle infested timber and treat dwarf mistletoe infected areas.
Because of a 1999 decision from a federal court judge, these types of sales were suspended or cancelled nationally. In response, the USFS, Salida Ranger District of the San Isabel National Forest, is preparing an Environmental Assessment, which will analyze the effects of future proposed actions to treat this mountain pine beetle epidemic area. This will aid in determining whether the Squaw Creek and Threemile Creek Timber Sales will be harvested.

Q & A

Does carrying infested wood on a truck spread it along the route?

No. Research has shown that beetles do not emerge and infest trees along a haul route.

Chaffee County's Role

Mountain pine beetle infestations have been on the increase in Chaffee County for the last few years and are becoming very threatening to our ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests.
The county's role in pine beetle management falls under enforcing the state pest law. The pest law allows the county to require management of pine beetle infested trees on private and public property.

Prior to the mountain pine beetle flight period, infested wood can be taken to mills, treatment sites, or so called "safe sites" a mile or more away from susceptible-size pine trees.

The purpose of the law is to protect property owners from pest infestations that could move off adjacent land to infest their property. The law allows for counties to compel property owners to address infestations on their land to reduce risk on neighboring property.
Chaffee County is currently working with the Colorado State Forest Service and the United States Forest Service to manage mountain pine beetle infestations in the county.
This cooperation is very important, as the USFS owns a large portion of the land in Chaffee County.
It is vital that we all work together and coordinate our management efforts if we are to be successful in controlling the beetles. If an area is not being managed the county will try to help coordinate efforts in that area.
Our best defense against the beetle is to work together to improve forest health through good forest management practices.
If we all do our part the demands on all property owners can be minimized.

Q & A

Where did the infestation in Colorado Start?

MPB is always present somewhere in Colorado. MPB can be expected in trees hit by lightning, infested by mistletoe, or damaged by construction or soil compaction. These type of trees may be responsible for "tiding over" a population of MBP until a true outbreak occurs.

Living with Mountain Pine Beetle - A homeowners point of view

Little did we know when we moved to Chaffee County in the fall of 1994 that within a year, our lives would become intertwined with the MPB. I guess things like this happen when you live in the woods.
The summer of 1995 saw the first yellowing of trees from the current infestation cycle in the Three Elk Creek/Wapiti/Four Elk Creek area about 6 miles northwest of Buena Vista. I don't think many residents knew what the cause was. In the spring of 1996, with our first Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) MPB survey in hand, Three Elk Creek subdivision began the mitigation process. Since that time, a lot of our residents have become quite knowledgeable about MPB.
MPB-Slice 'em and dice 'em
Over the years, I've developed my own particular favorite way to deal with the little buggers. I tried the plastic (6-mil heavy duty) covering method and found 9 newly infested trees around the stacked and covered pile of the previous year's infested wood.
Duct tape, the indispensable tool of the backwoodsman, proved of little help. As soon as I'd cover one exit hole, more would appear.
But the drawknife-now there's a tool to do in any pine beetle! And it's so "up close and personal." When the bark comes off, the new crop of larvae lay exposed-vulnerable. After losing valuable trees, revenge can be exacted. I've also used a hammer to deliver the lethal blows, but the drawknife has a much larger surface area and is much more effective. The trick (learned after several years) of getting the bark off with the drawknife is to "score" the logs with the chainsaw. I typically cut the logs into 3 to 6 foot lengths depending on the diameter of the log. Then I run the chainsaw the length of the log down through the bark, spaced about 2 inches apart, rolling the log as I work my way around it. The resulting logs are only good for firewood due to the scoring, but the debarking process, which is 100% effective in killing the MPB larvae, is much easier using this method.
Once again this year, Three Elk Creek subdivision is having a survey conducted by the CSFS to identify trees currently infested with MPB. Due to the efforts of the CSFS, the USFS Leadville district office, and the surrounding subdivisions, the number of newly infested trees within Three Elk Creek subdivision has decreased from the peak number of 315 in 1996 to 100 in 1999.
Three Elk Creek, Wapiti, and Four Elk Creek subdivisions, along with the CSFS and the USFS, are investigating the possibility of forming a stewardship committee where residents can help the government agencies manage the forest in our backyards.
The spirit of cooperation envisioned by the stewardship participants is yet to be a reality, however the lines of communication are in place-thanks to that annoying little beetle.

Q & A

What are the natural enemies of the mountain pine beetle and why don't they keep them in check?

MPB are preyed upon and parasitized by a host of organisms. As for bird, woodpeckers are perhaps the primary group of predators. There are many types of beetles, flies, and wasp that are MPB predators as well. Some of these specialize in capturing adult MPB outside the tree, others seek and destroy larvae within the galleries.
These organisms regulate MPB populations during endemic periods and are often very much responsible for contributing to the end of epidemics.
When host tree conditions are right for large MPB build-ups, natural enemies just don't seem able to prevent an outbreak as we would sometimes like.

Too Much Vegetation

"The most extensive and serious problem related to the health of the National Forests and forestlands in the interior West is the over-accumulation of vegetation" states a recent report from the General Accounting Office. Having too much vegetation predisposes many areas to insect attacks and severe wildfires, increasing the risks to the watersheds, ecosystems and to the people who live within these forests.

Mature ponderosa pine stand in need of thinning to prevent Mountain pine beetle infestation and the threat of wildfire

Most of the forests in the interior West are fire-adapted, which means that these forests have developed adaptations to survive frequent, low intensity fires. Many of the ponderosa pine forests in the Arkansas Valley fit this category.
In some situations, however, conditions have changed to the extent that it would be difficult to use prescribed fire as the first or only restoration option. Many of the sites have grown so dense that fire would be uncontrollable. Significant damage to watershed and resources would occur.
In these areas, mechanical treatments such as thinning may be needed to reduce the amount of fuels before burning. This would increase the success of subsequent prescribed fire treatments in restoring these forests to their historical conditions. Forests would be more open and savannah or park-like, with well-spaced, large-diameter trees dominating a grass under story. These forests would allow for low-intensity fire to occur. In addition, they would be much more resistant to attacks from the mountain pine beetles.
Prescribed fire is not one of the silvicultural treatments generally referenced purely for treatment of the mountain pine beetle. However, it is an effective tool for maintaining a healthy forest by reducing the number of stems in the forest. By reducing the stems, each individual in the stand and the stand as a whole are less stressed; and as a result the vulnerability to MPB is greatly reduced.
A good example of this is the sites near Eddy Creek, just south of Chalk Cliffs. Many of these forested sites were thinned 10 to 15 years ago. A low-intensity prescribed burn followed behind these thinnings. As a result, a more open or park-like forest now exists. While the mountain pine beetles are currently hitting many of the untreated, denser stands in the area, these treated sites remain relatively free of the beetle. Also, although not totally eliminated, the threat of wildfire to the nearby sub-division has been greatly reduced by these past treatments.
A return to the more historical practice of frequent ground fires which have burned through these forests every 40 to 50 years, will benefit the health of the forest by recycling nutrients and thinning many of competing trees. This would result in a much better response to an MPB outbreak.

Q & A

When will the beetles fly this year?

The normal flight period in ponderosa pine forest is July 20 thru September 10. For lodgepole pine it is about July 10 through September 1.