One-third of Shoshone Forest killed by bark beetles
By RUFFIN PREVOST Gazette Wyoming Bureau | Posted: Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:20 pm CODY — Dozens of popular camping spots on public land around Yellowstone National Park could be closed next summer as the U.S. Forest Service focuses regional spending priorities on the effects of widespread bark beetle infestations in Colorado and southern Wyoming. The problem has drawn the attention of Wyoming’s congressional delegation, although additional funding from Washington, D.C., is unlikely to provide a short-term solution to what planners say will be an ongoing budget drain. “There is no easy fix to this problem, but we simply must find ways to empower our land managers to turn the tide in this fight,” said Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. “These are not ordinary times. There are 600,000 acres of dead or dying trees, probably one-third of the forest’s timber,” said Becky Aus, supervisor for the Shoshone National Forest. Beetles, other insects and diseases have also struck trees across 500,000 acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. … “Our regional forests have been dealing with this for the last three to five years. It’s to the point where it’s basically an emergency based on community infrastructure at risk,” Aus said. …
