State entomologist warns beetle outbreak is spreading on Front Range; council weighs incentives, wood‑movement fixes

Colorado State Forest Service entomologist Dan West told the Colorado Forest Health Council on Dec. 5 that the mountain pine beetle outbreak is moving into lower‑elevation ponderosa pine stands along the Front Range and that managers are seeing an uptick in visible infestations along corridors such as I‑70.

"We are seeing some increase in mountain pine beetle activity along the Front Range," West said during a presentation to the council. He summarized historical outbreaks (dating to 1996) and said roughly 4.1 million acres of pine forest exist in Colorado, with a recent red‑tree footprint concentrated west of Denver and south toward Park, Jefferson and Clear Creek counties.

Why it matters: West said bark beetles preferentially attack the largest‑diameter trees because they provide more phloem for reproduction, and that stands with basal area above roughly 75–80 square feet are showing the most activity. "They're choosing those largest diameter trees first because the food source is greater on those larger diameter trees," he said. That pattern, combined with several years of below‑average precipitation, has produced "dry attack" in which trees lack the resin to resist beetle attacks.

Counci…