Friday, July 6, 2012
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from:
Randy Moench
Nursery Manager
Colorado State Forest Service

I grouped several fact sheets together in on file on land recovery after fire.  Hope it’s useful.  Spread around as you see fit.
 Best wishes,

 Randy Moench

Read fact sheets (large file)

_________________________________

from:
Sky Stephens
Forest Entomologist
Colorado State forest Service

1) We know that while the fire destroyed numerous trees and some of those undoubtedly harbored this seasons mountain pine beetle the fire hasn't stopped the MPB in our area. There are lots of unimpacted trees, some of which also harbor beetles. AND the increase stress on trees scorched by the fire will make them more susceptible to MPB.

2) Other beetles like Douglas-fir beetle and Ips are notoriously present post fire. So we're likely to see more activity from those beetles in the next few years as a result of fire.

So onto preventative sprays...

1) I'm thinking that chemical sprays exposed to high heat or directly to fire will have lost some if not all of there effectiveness - a. the product is on the bark, if it has been burned then I would assume the product has been burned as well. b. most chemicals degrade faster exposed to heat. This is something I'm trying to get more information on.

2) I'm concerned that if preventative sprays were reapplied immediately post fire, depending on the individual tree, that the sprays might not adhere well to the bark due to the presence of ash/soot/charred bark. This is something else I'm trying to get more information on.

From a tree protection stance I think that preventative treatment of remaining trees will be more important the next few seasons because in fire impacted areas the trees remaining represent a smaller selection of hosts AND if they've experiences additional stressors then they are more likely to be predisposed to less successful in defending against MPB.

HOWEVER, I hesitate to tell people to re-contract their tree sprayers if I'm not confident that the product will effectively adhere to the trees OR if the need really exists. Of course, we're at the prime time to have conducted treatment already. Hopefully, some of the resources I've contacted will get back to be promptly. I'll put out something more official as soon as they do. In the meantime feel free to share the thoughts I've put together here with people that contact you.

Sky

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