Mountain Pine Beetle - Current Outbreak

Current Outbreak

The current outbreak of mountain pine beetles is ten times larger than previous outbreaks. Huge swaths of central British Columbia (BC) and parts of Alberta have been hit badly, with over 40 million acres (160,000 km2) of BC's forests affected. Under the presumption that the large areas of dead pine stands represent a potential fire hazard, the BC government is directing fuel management activities in beetle areas as recommended in the 2003 Firestorm Provincial Review. Harvesting affected stands aids fire management by removing the presumed hazard and breaking the continuity of the fuels. These fuel management treatments are specifically designed to reduce interface fire threats to communities and First Nations located in the infestation zone. The interface is the area where urban development and wilderness meet.

The mountain pine beetle has affected more than 900 miles (1,400 km) of trail, 3,200 miles (5,100 km) of road and 21,000 acres (85 km2) of developed recreation sites over 3,600,000 acres (15,000 km2) in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming; other outbreaks encompass the Black Hills of South Datkota and extend as far south as Arizona. The US Forest Service is working on a hazard tree removal strategy, prioritizing high-use recreation areas, such as campgrounds, roads and National Forest Service lands adjacent to vulnerable public infrastructure such as power lines and near communities.

• A lodgepole pine tree with a pitch tube

• A lodgepole pine tree infested by the mountain pine beetle, with visible pitch tubes

• Invaded pine tree forest on the slopes of Chancellor Peak in Yoho National Park, Canada

• A pine tree forest north of Breckenridge, CO shows infestation in 2008. Currently, over 15 million hectares are either infected or destroyed by the mountain pine beetle.

• Pine beetle damage in E. C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada, as of August 2010

• Mountain pine beetle damage in Rocky Mountain National Park as of January 2012

The outbreaks may be a consequence of global warming. Previously, cold spells had killed off bark beetles which are now attacking the forests. The longer breeding season is another factor encouraging beetle proliferation. The combination of warmer weather, attack by beetles, and mismanagement during past years has led to a substantial increase in the severity of forest fires in Montana. According to a study done for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science, portions of Montana will experience a 200% increase in area burned by wildland fires, and an 80% increase in air pollution from those fires.