Are we close to the end of the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak in Grand County? - by Regis Dahl

Mountain Pine Beetles are the most important insect pest of Colorados pine forest beetles often kill a large number of trees during outbreaks. Our forests in Grand County are crowded & old (at the end of their life cycle) and have had drought conditions in the past ten years. This makes the forest susceptible to attacks by beetles. Millions of trees have died in Grand County but the epidemic seems to be near the end according to an aerial survey conducted by the National Forest Service. A new forest will now begin to regenerate which will be healthier and resistance to attacks by Mountain Pine Beetle.