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Healthy Forests Success Story

Blue Stain Campaign Promotes Using Beetle-Killed Pine
Routt County, Colorado
2008

The bark beetle epidemic in Colorado is expected to kill nearly all the mature lodgepole pine trees within the next few years, creating a need to find ways to use the dead wood. To that end, the Bark Beetle Information Task Force in Routt County, Colorado has launched a "Blue Stain Campaign" designed to encourage the use of beetle-killed lodgepole pine in house construction.

The campaign is the latest in the group’s ongoing mission to provide education and support to local municipalities, counties, and individuals regarding beetle epidemics. Formed in 1999, the group has expanded its efforts to include wildfire mitigation and prevention.

When bark beetles attack a tree, the ensuing fungus causes the wood to turn partially blue. While the blue-stained wood makes beautiful paneling and furniture, trim, and other products, some people perceive that the wood is defective, limiting its demand. However, the blue stain does not affect the strength of the wood, so structural uses are not limited.

Thousands of acres of beetle-killed trees pose a serious fire hazard. The task force believes the local timber industry would likely provide blue-stain lodgepole lumber if it became popular with customers. Local entrepreneurs would remove the dead trees from the forest and private lands, thus reducing fire hazard and utilizing a local natural resource.

Using local wood would also save fuel costs and other environmental impacts of transporting lumber from other places. This rationale moved the task force to coin the message "Local Wood, Local People - Make the Connection" for Yampa Valley residents.

The group plans to host several seminars to move their efforts forward, including meetings with local businesses who produce or use wood products as well as researchers and economists. Public meetings and tours, including "Be Green - Buy Blue," will also take place this summer.

"Most of the mature lodgepole in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming are already dead due to the beetle epidemic, which was triggered by a prolonged drought. This campaign is an effort to encourage local people to utilize local wood," said Diann Ritschard, task force member and Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland public affairs specialist. "Continuing to harvest live trees of various species is also important for maintaining healthy forests and ecosystems," she added.

Task Force members include representatives of the City of Steamboat Springs, Routt County Extension Service, Community Agriculture Alliance, Routt County, Steamboat Ski Area, Steamboat Springs Chamber and Resort Association, Colorado State Forest Service, Routt National Forest, Steamboat Lake State Park, and Environmental Solutions.

For more information about the task force visit the Forest website or contact Diann Ritschard at dritschard@fs.fed.us or 970-870-2187.