Forest Property Owners Asked To Help Battle Bark Beetle Outbreaks

Sonora, CA – CAL Fire is asking forest property owners to help them keep California forests healthy by preventing the spread of bark beetle outbreaks.

The damage from the historic 2023 winter storms uprooted and downed ponderosa pines, leaving some lying on the forest floor, which can attract bark beetles if not treated and monitored. CAL Fire officials urge, “Timberland owners should work with a licensed timber operator to salvage trees by moving downed trees to markets where the accumulated carbon can be stored for years or used as fuel in plants with the best available control technology to reduce harmful smoke emissions.”

CAL Fire offers these tips for trees that are going to remain on timberlands:

• Lop branches from stems and spread them in sunny areas away from roads or structures.
• Buck pine logs to lengths shorter than four feet, or bury, chip, de-bark, solarize, or burn pine slash before beetle colonies become established and spread to nearby healthy pines.

CAL Fire noted that healthy trees can fend off bark beetle attacks by exuding pitch into the holes, pushing the beetles out. However, they say drought-stressed trees have a difficult time producing enough pitch to fight off insects. For more information on how to help, get tips from the California Forest Pest Council’s Tree Notes (3, 19, and 28) by clicking here, or contact a local forester.