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The rapidly spreading epidemic of pine bark beetle is leaving behind a large number of dead trees. As these dead trees begin to decay, they represent a growing threat to the safety of people using the White River National Forest. In response to the mounting risk that hazard trees represent across the forest, the Forest Service has completed a study and made a decision regarding the removal of hazard trees on a forest wide basis.
According to Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams, “We know we have a hazard tree problem as a result of the beetle epidemic. This action addresses the issue of beetle killed hazard trees across the whole forest. It puts us ahead of the curve and allows us to proceed with treatments as the need arises without having to do additional analysis. By managing hazard trees along critical travel routes, we can significantly reduce the risks these trees represent to the public, our employees engaged in their everyday jobs and our firefighters.”
The decision addresses the removal of hazard trees along roads and trails, as well as in the vicinity of trailheads and recreation sites, administrative sites, and heritage resource sites across the White River National Forest. Priority will be placed on situations where either the concentration of hazard trees or the intensity of use poses the greatest threat to the public. Beetle killed trees also represent a significant threat to firefighter safety during wildfire situations. Hazard trees can impede access to fires in the critical early stages. Fallen trees can also block escape routes, trapping fire fighters and their equipment in the path of a fast moving fire. According to Jan Burke, Forest Health Coordinator for the White River National Forest, “It comes down to this, the higher the risk to the public, our employees or our facilities, the higher the priority for removing the hazard trees.”
Under this decision, the Forest Service will be able to use Forest Service crews, Colorado Department of Corrections crews and contractors to cut and remove hazardous trees in identified areas of the White River National Forest for a period of up to ten years. “In deciding who does the work, we have to consider who has the training, skills and equipment needed to do each job both safely and efficiently. We will also consider the size of each job and how the trees to be removed might be used,” Burke said.
Once cut, the trees will be available for a variety of uses, both private and commercial. In discussing how the trees might be used, Burke commented, “Many of the trees will be stacked or decked in designated locations and made available for private and commercial firewood cutters. Much of the wood may be used for house logs or other building materials, fence posts and rails, and depending on specific locations may have a use as biomass fuels. Market forces will influence some of what we are able to do with the trees that are removed.” Slash, the branches and smaller parts of the trees, will be piled for burning by Forest Service crews.
As the current beetle epidemic runs its course, many questions have been asked regarding the forest of the future.
“In many places, the new forest is already there,” Fitzwilliams said. “Most forest tree species have a mechanism for replacing a dying forest through natural regeneration. In many cases they just need space and sunlight that reaches the ground to reproduce or regenerate the forest. In a sense that is one of the ecological roles of the bark beetle. We will be planting in some critical areas where we want to encourage species diversity or we need faster regeneration. For example, we have the opportunity to encourage new aspen growth in many areas since many of our existing aspen stands are approaching old age. Aspen can regenerate rapidly where is would be nice to see green trees growing again.”
The Forest Service will spend this winter developing priority projects for implementation in the spring of 2010.
The rapidly spreading epidemic of pine bark beetle is leaving behind a large number of dead trees. As these dead trees begin to decay, they represent a growing threat to the safety of people using the White River National Forest. In response to the mounting risk that hazard trees represent across the forest, the Forest Service has completed a study and made a decision regarding the removal of hazard trees on a forest wide basis.
According to Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams, “We know we have a hazard tree problem as a result of the beetle epidemic. This action addresses the issue of beetle killed hazard trees across the whole forest. It puts us ahead of the curve and allows us to proceed with treatments as the need arises without having to do additional analysis. By managing hazard trees along critical travel routes, we can significantly reduce the risks these trees represent to the public, our employees engaged in their everyday jobs and our firefighters.”
The decision addresses the removal of hazard trees along roads and trails, as well as in the vicinity of trailheads and recreation sites, administrative sites, and heritage resource sites across the White River National Forest. Priority will be placed on situations where either the concentration of hazard trees or the intensity of use poses the greatest threat to the public. Beetle killed trees also represent a significant threat to firefighter safety during wildfire situations. Hazard trees can impede access to fires in the critical early stages. Fallen trees can also block escape routes, trapping fire fighters and their equipment in the path of a fast moving fire. According to Jan Burke, Forest Health Coordinator for the White River National Forest, “It comes down to this, the higher the risk to the public, our employees or our facilities, the higher the priority for removing the hazard trees.”
Under this decision, the Forest Service will be able to use Forest Service crews, Colorado Department of Corrections crews and contractors to cut and remove hazardous trees in identified areas of the White River National Forest for a period of up to ten years. “In deciding who does the work, we have to consider who has the training, skills and equipment needed to do each job both safely and efficiently. We will also consider the size of each job and how the trees to be removed might be used,” Burke said.
Once cut, the trees will be available for a variety of uses, both private and commercial. In discussing how the trees might be used, Burke commented, “Many of the trees will be stacked or decked in designated locations and made available for private and commercial firewood cutters. Much of the wood may be used for house logs or other building materials, fence posts and rails, and depending on specific locations may have a use as biomass fuels. Market forces will influence some of what we are able to do with the trees that are removed.” Slash, the branches and smaller parts of the trees, will be piled for burning by Forest Service crews.
As the current beetle epidemic runs its course, many questions have been asked regarding the forest of the future.
“In many places, the new forest is already there,” Fitzwilliams said. “Most forest tree species have a mechanism for replacing a dying forest through natural regeneration. In many cases they just need space and sunlight that reaches the ground to reproduce or regenerate the forest. In a sense that is one of the ecological roles of the bark beetle. We will be planting in some critical areas where we want to encourage species diversity or we need faster regeneration. For example, we have the opportunity to encourage new aspen growth in many areas since many of our existing aspen stands are approaching old age. Aspen can regenerate rapidly where is would be nice to see green trees growing again.”
The Forest Service will spend this winter developing priority projects for implementation in the spring of 2010.
