The San Juan National Forest invites the public to an informational meeting entitled "Meet the Beetles" on March 17 to learn about the biology of the spruce beetle and the current situation within the San Juan's forests. The meeting will be in the Vallecito Room in the Fort Lewis College Student Union Building from 6 to 8 p.m. U.S. Forest Service staff will be on hand to talk informally at 5:30 p.m.
Tom Eager, USFS Gunnison Research Center insect and disease expert, will lead a discussion on spruce beetle biology. San Juan National Forest resource specialists will lead a discussion on the current situation on the forest and tools to address the epidemic through management of spruce/fir forests.
The expected outcome of the meeting is to offer a baseline understanding of the spruce beetle epidemic and an exploration of what can and cannot be done to stop the spread of this and future epidemics. Spruce/fir management on the San Juan National Forest will be guided by three priorities:
· Safety actions to remove hazard trees in areas near people and values at risk, such as power lines, communication towers, water structures, recreation sites, etc.
· Recovery actions to help reforest areas that have already experienced severe mortality.
· Resilience actions to help forests survive future infestations.
No specific projects are proposed at this time. Additional public meetings will be held in affected communities this spring to discuss potential treatment areas and ask for suggestions and concerns. For more information, please contact Cara Gildar, NEPA Planner, at (970) 882-6854 or cngildar@fs.fed.us.
