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Jefferson County officials and partners outline steps as mountain pine beetle outbreak spreads
Summary
County and partner officials at a Conifer town hall described an escalating mountain pine beetle outbreak affecting private property and open space, reported more than 575 known sites, and urged early detection, defensible-space thinning, and coordinated treatment timing.
County and partner officials urged Conifer residents on the front range to act now to address an expanding mountain pine beetle outbreak that they said is increasing local wildfire risk and damaging thousands of trees.
"We're in about the third or fourth year of a current outbreak," said Alicia Dorn, GEFCO invasive species management coordinator, who told the audience her team has identified "over 575 unique sites" with beetle activity in Jefferson County. Dorn outlined indicators residents should watch for—frass, pitch tubes, distinctive galleries and blue-stain fungus—and described timing- dependent controls: solarizing cut logs, plastic solarization (clear 6-mil minimum) by May 15, debarking tools by June, and commercial insecticide application for un-infested trees under 4 inches in diameter.
Tony Asiello, natural resources team lead with Jefferson County Parks & Open Space, described the county's larger-scale response: chipping and mastication on public lands, use of a Log Wizard tool to peel infested trees, expanded pheromone deployment and adjustments to monitoring and treatment schedules. He said parks and open space treated concentrated patches and are adding two seasonal staff to meet demand.
Ron Kilgore, an elected director at CORE Electric Cooperative, described utility-side mitigation and urged members to report infested trees near rights-of-way. "We spend about $6,000,000 on this process every year," Kilgore said of CORE's patrol and vegetation management program, and he emphasized the need for earlier detection because the standard three-year patrol cycle is too slow for a sudden outbreak.
Brian Keating, sheriff's office wildland fire program manager, stressed that the beetle surge raises short-term fire risk as trees enter the red-needle phase. He urged homeowners to create defensible space, sign up for Lookout Alert and prepare family evacuation plans: "Don't wait, evacuate," Keating said, adding that early departure reduces road congestion and risk.
Jefferson County Commissioner Lehi Dahlgren noted the county's prior wildfire task-force work and said mitigation will require coordination across open space, fire districts, planning and other partners. She highlighted insurance and community support work already underway to help residents.
Officials emphasized that moving infested logs can spread beetles and asked residents not to relocate stacks of suspect wood until beetles have completed flight. Dorn and Asiello recommended hiring contractors early because schedules are filling quickly.
Next steps: county staff said they will hold public meetings on related regulation updates in December, continue monitoring and treatment work on parks and open space, and coordinate potential new tools and resident supports with county commissioners in the new year.
