Pine beetle infestations are quickly spreading across large areas of Colorado’s ponderosa pine forests, evident from aerial surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service over the last year.
The USFS surveys found beetle infestations in mountainous and foothills regions from Larimer County to El Paso County have been on the rise over the last year, suggesting large areas of forests near major Colorado metro areas could look a lot different within the next five to 10 years.
Furthermore, beetle-caused mortality to these forests can create public safety hazards, alter fire behavior and make fire suppression more challenging for firefighters, the USFS said…