Serious Beetle Kill Problem in Summit County

[skiNEwhere]

http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/6906

Summit County, CO (home of Breck, Copper, Keystone and A-Basin) is in serious trouble. I was passing through their the other day and the number of dead trees is alarming, I'd give it a rough estimate from 25-40%.

I'm starting to get somewhat concerned....If there is a wildfire that starts here, this whole county will go up in flames, and clear creek county (the county next to it, and which I live in could be caught on fire too from the strong winds)

Apparently the warmer winters have not killed off as many of the beetle larva as needed to keep the problem contained.

I'm amazed nothing has been done. You still have to pay $20 to the park service for each cord of wood you want to cut down, which simply doesn't make sense seeing as how dire the situation is. If anything it should be free, or you should even be paid to cut it down, similar to how the state of Louisiana has a bounty on Nutria (Coypu)

Or more ski resort could be built since the trails isolate the beetles from going from tree to tree (I prefer this option )

 

[ScottySkis]

Sorry about that I hope you have a cold winter this year coming up.

 

[skiNEwhere]

yup all we need is 5+ days of -30 and we should be ok :-(

 

[ctenidae]

$20 for a cord of wood isn't a bad price, even if you have to cut it yourself.
The good news is, if climate change keeps screwing up habitats, eventually the beetles will be displaced, too.