White pine blister rust is a disease caused indirectly when mountain pine beetle destroys lower elevation pine stands forcing bears and other critters to higher elevations in search of flood.

I thought the following point about de-forestation was interesting.

“…..The wider ecological effects could be serious. These forests slow the rate of spring snowmelt; without them, the spring runoff will happen faster and streams and rivers will see reduced flow and higher temperatures later in the season…. ”

Full New York Times editorial about the effects of mountain pine beetle on bears.

DRAFT: JUNE 4th, 2010
The beetle will be flying soon in most parts of the interior Rocky Mountains. Traditionally the stock answer for when the adult beetle start their flight is the second week of July and commencing through late September.

Putting aside the range of dates that have been documented from late May to October, at least in Colorado no one that I’ve spoken with in Estes Park, Evergreen, Red Feather Lakes or the Denver area has seen flight evidence. That will start to change any day though.

The flight is the time to apply mountain pine beetle treatments as they are vulnerable. The adult females search for a new lodgepole, ponderosa, scoth or other types of pines, to inhabit and build a colony. The males follow in a mad dash to meet up with her and impress the groovy mating chirps.

With new data showing that the beetle flight of up to a mile is much shorter than the potential distance a beetle colony can take. According to a new Colorado State Extension article by Bill Ciesla about the presence of the mountain pine beetle in urban areas:

How did the beetles get here (Front Range)? They were likely transported by high winds, which occurred during mid to late August, 2008.

In 2009, Fort Collins City foresters identified over 300 attacked pines. Only 20 of the trees were successfully attacked and are dying.

The Colorado State Forest Service Advises Landowners to assess pine beetle prevention products . The link leads to a pdf with anice, little comaprison matrix on treatment options.

This summer, Mount Rushmore is one of the most highly targeted areas for beetle prevention. South Dakota doen’t jump to mind as a beetle hotspot, but wind has brought it to the Rushmore area. The federal government has allocated money to spray 700 trees, identify and remove infested green trees as well as clearing out dead tree that have gone red.

Shade, Heating and Cooling Costs

“The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.”—U.S. Department of Agriculture

Certainly a well placed pine can protect soil and provide a net cooling effect for a home. Tree designed wind screens can reduce structural damage, prevent snow drifting and wind damage can be reduced and icing over of roads can be prevented.

Utilizing the National Tree Benefit Calculator, I selected a lodgepole pine with a 20 inch diameter located in Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545

I found out out some interesting things about my tree:

• provides overall benefits of: $131 every year
• intercepts 3,435 gallons of stormwater runoff this year.
• raises the property value by $77 this year.
• conserves 88 Kilowatt / hours of electricity for cooling and reduce consumption of oil or natural gas by 10 therm(s).

Macro effects

The type of town you live in will effect the value of your property. Towns in Colorado and Utah have seen significant economic impacts where the pine beetle struck. That is why protecting high profile trees is so important. Perception creates reality and tourists will understand the natural cycle beetle cycle while still enjoying the beauty of pine trees.