Bark Beetles

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Bark Beetles by Clint Kyhl Bark Beetle
Incident Commander US Forest Service
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Agenda

• Bark Beetle History Biology
• Bark Beetle Current Condition
• FS Response
• Action Plan
• Implementation Plan
• Impacts
• Solutions
• Watershed Topics

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Bark Beetle History and Biology
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Bark Beetles in the West

• Widespread outbreaks across the west
• From piñon-juniper woodlands to spruce-fir
  forests
• Native insects in natural habitats

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Mountian Pine Beetle

• Dendroctonus ponderosae
• ¼ inch long
• Can be thousands in a single tree
• feed on pine trees (lodgepole, limber, ponderosa)

USDA Forest Service - Region 4 Archives, USDA
Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org
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Mountain Pine Beetle Biology
Slide Courtesy of Tom Eager
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Pitch tubes
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Mountain pine beetle gallery
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Blue stain fungi block water and nutrient
conducting tissues
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Why an Epidemic?
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Bark Beetle Population
Weather/Climate Conditions
Tree/Forest Conditions
The Perfect Storm
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Lodgepole pine forests susceptibility increases
when

• Trees are gt 8 inches diameter
• Forests are older than 80 years
• Elevation is conducive to beetle survival
• Basal Area exceeds 120 sq. ft. acre.
• Surrounding forests have mountain pine beetles

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Historic and Current Age Distributions of
Lodgepole Pine Stands in the Western U.S.
Ferry et al. 1995. Altered fire regimes in
fire-adapted ecosystems.
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Current Condition of the Bark Beetle Epidemic
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Aerial Surveys
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2005 Aerial Survey
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Beetle Activity
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Data not Available
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Potential Bark Beetle on Medicine Bow
NF?(350,000 ac LP, 150,000 ac ES)
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August 2005 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
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August 2007 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
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August 2005 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
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August 2007 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
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Forest Service Response
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What is the Forest Service doing?

• Incident Management Team
• Regional shift of funding to Bark Beetle Forests
  (White River, Arapaho/Roosevelt, Medicine Bow and
  Routt NFs).
• Forest priority. Increase in treatment acres.
• Mobilize resources to support additional work
  (ie. Specialists, work crews, etc.)
• Action Plans and Strategies developed

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What are others doing?

• Collaborative Groups formed (ie. Colorado Bark
  Beetle Cooperative, Wyoming groups are
  interested).
• Partner Support (CWPPs, Good Neighbor Policy,
  timber industry, etc)
• State Federal Legislation
• Delegation support (2 Million in FY07)
• Public Awareness
• Much more!

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Action Plan

• Three general areas of focus
• Vegetation and Fuels Management
• Infrastructure (ie. campgrounds, powerlines)
• Next Forest
• Ways to streamline processes
• Be more efficient (HFRA, Stewardship
  Contracts/Agreements, etc..)
• Treat more acres with limited budgets

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Strategy - Factors

• Sawtimber value good for only 3-5 yrs
• Lots of wood biomass available for the long-term
• Large number of projects through NEPA
• Timber Industry not at capacity
• Stimulate new industry
• Environmental concerns
• Visuals
• Forest Health
• Public Health Safety (Fire Hazard Trees)
• Recreation Tourism Impacts
• Economic Development

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FS Strategy cont.

• Increase FY08 volume offer from existing approved
  NEPA projects to capture sawtimber volume before
  it goes bad
• In the short-term, utilize regular timber sale
  contracts or Stewardship Contracts (5gt yrs)
• In the long-term, look for opportunities for
  Stewardship Contracts (5 yrs) for biomass
  utilization (ie. large area analysis, roadside
  hazard trees, etc)

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Implementation Plan

• Ramp up all treatments starting in 2007
• Four Treatment Focus Areas
• - Hazardous Fuel Treatments
• - Timber Salvage / Stewardship Contracts
• - Forest Health (Tree Spraying)
• - Hazard Tree Reduction
• Based on future funding level estimates
• What could we do (ie. Capacity)?
• Focus on 7 counties (Summit, Eagle, Grand,
  Jackson, and Routt Albany and Carbon). More
  could be added.
• Includes over 250 projects on three National
  Forests over the next 5 yrs 80,000 acres of
  proposed treatments.

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Impacts Solutions
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Summit County Lake Dillon
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Grand County Lake Granby
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Developed Recreation Sites
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Recreation - Trails
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Transportation - Roads
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Timber Salvage
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Hazardous Fuel Reduction
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Fuel Profile Hazard Associated with MPB Mortality
Greatest
Tree Crown in Red and Dead Stage
Surface Fuel Loadings Increase with Tree Fall
Needle Fall Leading to Snag Condition
Hazard
Snag Stage
Lowest
3 - 4
4 - 6
6 20
50
Years Since Beetle Attack (Approximate)
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Other Impacts?

• Critical Watersheds / Water supplies
• Infrastructure (ditches, water storage, etc)
• Sedimentation Debris flow
• Powerlines
• Visuals
• Electronic sites
• Other critical assetswildlife habitat, etc

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Solutions - Spraying
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Solutions

• Spraying trees in campgrounds
• Removing Hazard Dead Trees
• Clearing trails roads
• Re-planting Campgrounds
• Volunteers (trails, planting, etc.)
• Funding (Pvt and Fed Funds)
• Closures (Campgrounds Trails)
• Others? Limited funding!

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Watershed Topics

• Colorado (HB1130)
• Provides 1 million/yr for watershed
  mitigation work for landowners.
• Water Yield?
• Increase due to lack of transpiration and
  sublimation. Being studied.
• Impacts from Catastrophic Wildfire
• (ie. Buffalo Creek, Hayman, etc)
• Collaborative Group / Support
• (ie. Denver Water Board)

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Questions?Contact InfoClint
Kyhl307-745-2473ckyhl_at_fs.fed.usThe web
address is http//www.fs.fed.us/r2/bark-beetle