Title: Bark Beetles
1Bark Beetles by Clint Kyhl Bark Beetle
Incident Commander US Forest Service
2Agenda
- Bark Beetle History Biology
- Bark Beetle Current Condition
- FS Response
- Action Plan
- Implementation Plan
- Impacts
- Solutions
- Watershed Topics
3Bark Beetle History and Biology
4Bark Beetles in the West
- Widespread outbreaks across the west
- From piñon-juniper woodlands to spruce-fir
forests - Native insects in natural habitats
5Mountian 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
6Mountain Pine Beetle Biology
Slide Courtesy of Tom Eager
7Pitch tubes
8Mountain pine beetle gallery
9Blue stain fungi block water and nutrient
conducting tissues
10Why an Epidemic?
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12Bark Beetle Population
Weather/Climate Conditions
Tree/Forest Conditions
The Perfect Storm
13Lodgepole 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
14Historic and Current Age Distributions of
Lodgepole Pine Stands in the Western U.S.
Ferry et al. 1995. Altered fire regimes in
fire-adapted ecosystems.
15Current Condition of the Bark Beetle Epidemic
16Aerial Surveys
172005 Aerial Survey
18Beetle Activity
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28Data not Available
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31Potential Bark Beetle on Medicine Bow
NF?(350,000 ac LP, 150,000 ac ES)
32August 2005 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
33August 2007 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
34August 2005 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
35August 2007 Willow Creek Pass
Slide Courtesy of Tom Troxel
36Forest Service Response
37What 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
38What 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!
39Action 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
40Strategy - 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
41FS 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)
42Implementation 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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48Impacts Solutions
49Summit County Lake Dillon
50Grand County Lake Granby
51Developed Recreation Sites
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53Recreation - Trails
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55Transportation - Roads
56Timber Salvage
57Hazardous Fuel Reduction
58Fuel 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)
59Other Impacts?
- Critical Watersheds / Water supplies
- Infrastructure (ditches, water storage, etc)
- Sedimentation Debris flow
- Powerlines
- Visuals
- Electronic sites
- Other critical assetswildlife habitat, etc
60Solutions - Spraying
61Solutions
- 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!
62Watershed 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)
63Questions?Contact InfoClint
Kyhl307-745-2473ckyhl_at_fs.fed.usThe web
address is http//www.fs.fed.us/r2/bark-beetle