Managing the next outbreak: Mountain Pine Beetles and the Future of Colorado’s Forest Communities

The mountain pine beetle has reshaped millions of acres of Colorado’s forests, but what does that mean for the communities who live, work, and recreate here?

This panel brings together experts in tree health and beetle-associated fungi, forest ecology and management, statewide forest protection strategy, and forest insect science to discuss how Colorado can better anticipate and manage future outbreaks. The conversation will explore what drives beetle populations, how outbreaks intersect with wildfire risk and water resources, and what coordinated science, management, and policy efforts are underway to strengthen forest resilience.

Panelists:

Matt McCombs, State Forester and Director, Colorado State Forest Service
Jane Stewart, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Biology
Tony Vorster, Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Dan West, State’s Forest Entomologist, Colorado State Forest Service

Moderator: Gene Kelly, SoGES Faculty Research Liaison, Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean of Extension