Western Bark Beetle Strategy

The Western Bark Beetle Strategy identifies how the Forest Service is responding to and will respond to the western bark beetle epidemic over the next five years. The extent of the epidemic requires prioritization of treatments, first providing for human safety in areas threatened by standing dead hazard trees, and second, addressing dead and down trees that create hazardous fuels conditions adjacent to high value areas. After the priority of safety, forested areas with severe mortality will be reforested with the appropriate species (Recovery). Forests will also be thinned to reduce the number of trees per acre and create more diverse stand structures to minimize extensive epidemic bark beetle areas (resiliency). This is a modest strategy that reflects current budget realities, but focuses our resources in the most important places that we can make a big difference to the safety of the American public. This strategy covers Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 through 2016. The western United States is experiencing the largest bark beetle outbreak in recorded history. Although western forests have experienced regular infestations throughout their history, the current epidemic is notable for its intensity, extensive geographic range, and simultaneous occurrence in multiple ecosystems. Since 1997, infestations of bark beetle species have escalated resulting in more than 41.7 million acres across all ownerships sustaining some level of conifer tree mortality. The past decade's epidemic is unprecedented in its environmental and social impacts. Various parts of the west experienced bark beetle population peaks at different times over the past 14 years. The Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service undertook a focused safety and recovery effort that was supported by approximately $138 million in agency and supplemental appropriations. From 2000 through 2009, the intermountain west experienced bark beetle caused mortality over an estimated 21.7 million acres across all ownerships, 17.7 million acres on national forests. The situation is further complicated by the fact that more and more people live and recreate in areas affected by the epidemic. This strategy incorporates our current understanding of available scientific research and presents a science-based path forward. The strategy will be achieved through well-defined goals, objectives, and action items, to address each of the three prongs of the bark beetle problem: human safety, forest recovery, and long-term forest resiliency. A successful approach to mitigating the impact of bark beetle must address actions for all three goals. While safety of human communities and infrastructure protection is paramount, there is also a critical need to restore the function and structure of our forests. Bark beetle is a natural part of our forests and as such will regularly impact our forests and the adjacent communities. Conducting resiliency treatments now and in the future will help minimize the potential for new outbreaks of bark beetles or make future outbreaks less intense. Although there has been much work accomplished to date for bark beetle management, this report focuses on the future. Honing our continuing response will seek to integrate various vegetation management activities across all jurisdictions to address bark beetle concerns in prioritized areas. Now is the time to act. Forest Service resources are in a position in which they can effectively respond and address this issue with increased effort. Public safety and economic impacts and costs will only increase if we delay.