Bark Beetle Infestation near Dillon, Colorado

I've lived in Colorado most of my life and am stunned at the amount of trees dying around our state due to Bark Beetles. This particular section of forest isn't the worst I've seen but is probably an "average" representation of the amount of dead and dying trees around the state. From what little I understand of the problem it appears that climate change has reduced the number of severe winter days that are necessary to control the beetle's population. In some sections the entire forest is completely discolored, brown and dead.

Here's my personal web page on climate change:
http://www.rogerwendell.com/climatechange.html

08-08-2008

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• bark
• beetle
• infestation
• forests
• colorado
• dead
• trees

[zeekzilch]

I don't know much about forestry but would guess that Colorado has far fewer forest jobs than states like California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington. I guess this because there's a whole lot less logging here so our forests require less "management" than those other states. And, of course, the economy is so poor now there are fewer and fewer jobs in almost every industry...

- Roger J. Wendell

[vexedweasel]

It is predicted by experts that all Lodgepole Pines in Colorado will be dead in 3 years. The scourge is then expected to jump to the Ponderosa, all Pines in Colorado are predicted to be dead in 5-10 years.

[Blaze936]

still very pretty.

Are there a lot of jobs in Colorado involving forestry?