The U.S. Forest Service’s federal forecast shows a rapid spread of infestation requiring immediate attention. Pockets of dead trees are popping up in Colorado’s Front Range mountains, as reported by Phys.org.
What’s happening?
Aerial surveys produced by the agency over the last year have found a fast-spreading beetle infestation in the Front Range — from southern Larimer County to southern El Paso County and parts of metro Denver — that is attacking the native ponderosa pine forests.
Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order Dec. 15 to announce the Mountain Pine Beetle Ponderosa Outbreak Task Force to address the dire situation. It is expected to address the outbreak and the infestation’s potential impact on recreation, watershed, wildfires, and infrastructure.
“We’ve been through several cycles of outbreaks. But what’s new here is the start of a massive outbreak in the western Front Range, very close to our population centers … where projections show that over the next several years, there will be near 100% fatality for ponderosa pines,” Polis said, per Phys.org…