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Weston County landowner warns commissioners of active bark beetle killing trees
Summary
A Weston County resident told the commissioners he has lost dozens of trees to an active Ips bark beetle infestation and urged county awareness and action; county staff indicated natural resources and timing of tree-thinning are relevant.
A Weston County resident told commissioners that an active Ips bark beetle outbreak has killed dozens of trees on and around his property and urged county officials to be aware of the spreading infestation.
“That's why I'm here today as a landowner, to give a warning,” Stanley said during the meeting’s public comment period. He told the board he has lost 34 trees since October and described trees that were green in October but later died. Stanley said he believes the infestation may have begun on adjacent state land and has been progressing from west to east across his property.
Stanley said he was seeking chemical treatment through local weed-and-pest authorities to protect susceptible trees and urged local officials to take notice because of the potential for a larger outbreak.
A county staff speaker responded that the county’s natural resources staff are a good point of contact for landowners with these concerns and cautioned that thinning projects can attract Ips beetles if undertaken during hot months. “They advised me not to do September and August in particular,” the staff speaker said, referencing the timing of thinning activity near Stanley’s land last year.
Why it matters: Ips bark beetles can kill mature pine and spruce quickly and outbreaks can change wildfire risk, timber value and landscape appearance. The speakers at the meeting did not propose a formal county response or funding; the exchange was an advisory public comment and an instruction to consult natural resources staff and weed-and-pest programs for treatment options.
What was said (key details) - Stanley (identified in the meeting as a taxpayer and landowner) estimated he lost 34 trees since October and described seeing trees in the process of dying on adjacent state land. - He said he is pursuing chemical treatments through local weed-and-pest programs. - County staff advised landowners that thinning projects can attract Ips beetles and recommended caution about timing (August and September were cited in the discussion).
The meeting transcript does not show a formal county directive or appropriation in response to the comment; the exchange was recorded as public comment and staff guidance only.
