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Corridor braces for pine beetle infestation

Growth of pine beetle infestation shocks foresters

Dead trees are future fire risk

The pine beetle infestation that has devastated the Interior of the province is working its way south through Whistler, despite attempts to stop the spread of the insects in the region.

In Whistler, beetle control measures have resulted in the falling and burning of more than 5,000 pine trees over the past two years, mostly in the Emerald Estates area and to a lesser degree in Lost Lake Park.

Still, the evidence shows that the insects, which burrow into and kill pine species, are continuing to spread. In the end the growing number of beetles may be too overwhelming to turn back.

"We’ve done a pretty good job controlling beetles in the area, and cleaned up most of them, but the problem is that more beetles keep flying in from the north, and keep coming, which is confounding (Whistler’s) control efforts," said Don Heppner, the head etymologist for the Ministry of Forests’ Coastal Forest Region.

"We’re still assessing what’s possible and what should be the next step. We are seeing more beetles and there has been an influx of beetles up the highway in the Soo River area, and a lot of them seem to have flown in or blown into the Whistler area. We were hoping that Cougar Mountain would make a bit of a physical barrier, and it probably does, but (the beetles) are blowing over or around."

Nobody is sure why the beetle population has exploded in B.C., and it is likely the result of several factors, says Heppner.

"Global warming has been identified as a potential cause, one of the controls is cold weather in the winter," he said. "Another factor is that there’s a large supply of mature pine across the land base today, more than there occurred 100 or 200 years ago, and that’s because of fire suppression. We jump on every fire and try to put it out."

Because of fire control, entire stands of trees are roughly the same age and have reached full maturity. In the past stands would be more mixed in age and variety.

Natural wildfires would also kill off a portion of the beetles, which sleep late in the spring and aren’t known as particularly good flyers.

Heppner recently toured the area by helicopter, bringing forestry consultant Don MacLaurin, municipal horticulturist Paul Beswetherick and municipal stewardship supervisor Heather Beresford along for the ride. He says he will take another tour next week while he considers the best way to handle the problem in the area.

In the Interior the Ministry of Forests has had to give up attempts to control the pine beetles as a result of their overwhelming numbers, and instead is focussing on salvaging as much of the wood as possible.

The same will likely have to be done to the north of Whistler, where huge stands of red trees are visible. Because it takes a year for the trees to die, it’s safe to assume that the trees around the red trees are also infected.

Is the problem too advanced for Whistler?

"Not yet," said Heppner.

For Whistler, any solution to the problem will likely involve a combination of actions, including some more beetle kills as well as wildfire control – controlled burns, brush removal, fire rows, and removal of problem trees in residential areas.

"I’ll know more after I take another look," Heppner said.

MacLaurin says Whistler should be prepared for an outbreak.

"I had not seen the effects on the interior lodge pole pine to the north of us, towards Pemberton, and it was absolutely unbelievable, just a sea of red in places," said MacLaurin.

Whistler won’t be as hard hit because we have a greater mix of tree species, with a majority of hemlock and balsam, a mix of Douglas fir and spruce, scattered white pine, which aren’t affected by the beetles, and small patches of lodgepole pine.

"It’s these patches that are going to be showing the effects," said MacLaurin. "Where I am in the Alpha Lake area, the whole Pine Point Park is at risk. I haven’t seen any (beetles) there, but there are a couple of patches directly above us that got hit last year."

According to MacLaurin, the Emerald Estates subdivision has the most lodgepole pine. There are patches on the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course, and along the ridges on the northern end of Lost Lake. There are also some good patches along Alta Lake Road.

The areas directly to the south of Whistler in the lava flats, including Pinecrest and Black Tusk, will likely be the hardest hit, says MacLaurin, and are already showing signs of infection.

To combat the problem, MacLaurin recommends that residents learn to recognize lodgepole pines and keep their eye out for signs of the beetles.

"The biggest thing the public can do is keep their eyes open for the pitch tubes on lodgepole pines, then report it very quickly," MacLaurin advised.

The dead trees don’t create an immediate fire hazard, according to Beresford, but can create problems down the road when they dry out and fall over.

The municipality is currently preparing a wildfire strategy with Whistler Fire Rescue Services that will likely include some preventative measures, she says.

"We’re really moving away from the cut and burn program because the number of beetles is just overwhelming. The Ministry of Forests have done a lot, and they might do more, but it looks like we’re moving more into a wildfire management strategy.

"It’s not what the Ministry of Forests and ourselves hoped would happen."

The Ministry of Forests has published a brochure to help people recognize trees that are infested by pine beetles. It’s available online at www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/.