Ips Beetle Update

This sheet is additional information to the Colorado State University Extension/Colorado State Forest Service Insect Series publication “Ips Beetles” no. 5.558 http://csfs.colostate.edu/pdfs/Ips.pdf

Ips beetles, also known as engraver beetles, are bark beetles that attack pine and spruce trees. In general these beetles attack stressed or dying trees. Certain widespread conditions allow for population build-ups (e.g. drought, windthrow, fire, or many dying trees).  The mountain pine beetle epidemic, drought, and most recently broken branches, tops, and toppled trees due to heavy snow or wind have contributed to the population increase, and in some counties the ips beetles are killing large numbers of healthy trees (dozens to hundreds of trees in a single year).  Along the northern Front Range, ips beetles are causing significant mortality in some high-elevation lodgepole pine forests and also in some lower elevation ponderosa pine forests. This particular update is in regards to those ips beetles that attack ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees (e.g. Ips pini or pine engraver, Ips knausi, Ips calligraphus or sixspined ips, Ips latidens, Ips integer) READ MORE
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2009 National Tree Farmer Convention

We have the potential to make the 2009 National Tree Farmer Convention the most influential event in Tree Farmer Convention history!  With a new administration there are many issues being debated that impact family forest owners.  Whether its new markets for the carbon stored in your forest or the biomass produced in your forest for energy, tax policies that affect your ability to pass on your land, or new regulations that prevent you from selling your wood for government building, all are at play in Congress.

At this year's Convention, we are providing attendees with the opportunity to meet with their congressional delegations in an effort to give voice to responsible forest policy!

Here's how you can help:
Does your Tree Farm committee, local landowner organization, or other community group provide a newsletter?  Do you have a Tree Farm related website?  If so, we ask that you help promote this ground-breaking convention by publishing a 'blurb' about it it, or posting the link to the convention information on your website.   For those of you that would like to post a link, you may direct your website visitors to www.treefarmsystem.org, and ask them to click on the convention logo.  If you'd like to make a small plug for it in a local publication, feel free to contact us if you'd like help composing a descriptive paragraph.  And, as always, you can find the latest information on the event at www.treefarmsystem.org!

Thanks for your support!

ATFS Program Support Team