Rocky Mountain Region

Beetle Tents Available
These informative publications are folded tabletop tents that provide information about the beetles, what is being done, and what will happen next. They can be found in restaurants, hotels, and at special events, etc.

Watch out for falling tree hazards in the forest!

Click on image to view the poster.

Find out about blue-stain wood.

There are forests in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota that are experiencing bark beetle epidemics at a historically unprecedented scale.

The purpose of this web site is to share information and links about the beetles, the epidemics, the forest mortality, and resulting impacts.

WATCH OUT !

Falling trees are always a hazard when traveling through the forest. Here are some guidelines for visitors:

• Be aware of your surroundings and avoid dense patches of dead trees. They can fall without warning.
• Stay out of the forest when there are strong winds that could blow down trees. If you are already in the forest when winds kick up, head to a clearing out of reach of any potential falling trees.
• Place tents and park vehicles in areas where they will not be hit if a tree falls.
• When driving in remote areas of the forest, park close to a main road rather than on a spur or one-way section to avoid being trapped if a tree falls across the road.
• Have an ax or chain saw to remove fallen trees from roads in case you become trapped.
• Do not rely on cell phones for safety, as there is no coverage in many areas of the national forest.

Emergency Power Line Clearing Project Information

Attention: The deadline for comments on the Emergency Power Line Clearing Proposal has been extended to October 10, 2009!

Frequently Asked Questions About the Emergency Power Line Clearing Project

The Medicine Bow-Routt, Arapaho and Roosevelt, and White River National Forests are seeking public comment on the Emergency Power line Clearing Project, a proposal to remove all dead and dying trees (i.e., hazard trees) along power lines crossing National Forest system lands in Northern Colorado. The three Forests are experiencing a bark beetle epidemic in pine forests, some spruce tree mortality from the spruce bark beetle, and significant loss of aspen trees from sudden aspen decline.

Scoping Letter

Press Release

Map of the mountain pine beetle epidemic and power line locations

Map of the power line locations

What is the Forest Service doing?

The Forest Service’s Bark Beetle Incident Implementation Plan 2007 – 2011 proposes integrated vegetation treatments to address the impacts of the bark beetle epidemic. The Plan provides a strategy with a detailed multi-year implementation schedule of projects to enable the Forest Service to efficiently and effectively mitigate bark beetle epidemic impacts. The projects planned in the implementation schedule reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire risk to the forest, homes, communities, and critical watersheds and reduce hazards to recreation and public infrastructure. Click on these links to view the Plan and maps.

Executive Summary

Implementation Plan Narrative

Maps

Beetle Infestation Map (2.05 MB pdf) Proposed Treatment Project Map (1.75 MB pdf) Current Projects Map (1.64 MB pdf) Awarded Timber Sale Map (1.43 MB pdf)

Information by State

Colorado

South Dakota

Wyoming

Mortality Maps and Charts

These maps show the areas of tree mortality caused by the beetle.

2009 Aerial Survey Map of Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic (98 kb)

Colorado (686 kb)

South Dakota (710 KB)

Wyoming (679 KB)

Entire Region 2 (42 KB)

Forest Insect and Disease Aerial Survey Data

This chart shows the increase in infestation since 1996

Videos

Wildfire! Preventing Home Ignitions Featuring Jack Cohen, a physical scientist who has studied the fire's effects on structures for years.

Protecting Your Home from Wildfire Also featuring Jack Cohen, a dynamic speaker who is extremely knowledgeable about the effects of fire.

Fact Sheets

These give detailed information about the beetles, why they are active in the region, and the damage that they cause.

USDA Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Region
740 Simms St
Golden, CO 80401
303-275-5350

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
303-275-5367