Governor doleful over pine beetles

HELENA – Gov. Brian Schweitzer, speaking to land use managers, said that state and federal agencies must tell the public that the scarred forests left behind by voracious pine beetles will remain for years.

Millions of acres of forestland in the state are affected by the pine beetles, which kill trees in large swaths. The trees turn red as they die, leaving behind a stark landscape that once was green.

Schweitzer said more logging will help, but that industry is only capable of making a dent in the problem.

He said Montana’s landscape has been forever changed.

“At the rate we’re going, our children will have a different landscape than we had in Montana,” Schweitzer said. “I don’t know that we have all the solutions.”

Amy Gannon, an insect scientist for the state, said 3 million acres are affected. She said the infection rivals a large outbreak seen in the early 1980s.

“It’s a cyclical insect. We will see it again.”

Harsh cold can curtail the bug. She said there is some evidence an early cold snap last fall helped kill off many pine beetles.

She said cold weather in winter has less effect because the pine beetle prepares for it. She said sustained temperatures harsher than 40 degrees below zero would be needed in winter to kill the beetles.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided $20 million to help fight mountain pine beetle infestation in Montana. The money will be used to remove some beetle-killed trees, especially in areas such as campgrounds. It will also be used to thin thick stands.