Funding for Beetle Kill Epidemic Rolls in for Colorado
Sky-Hi Daily News reports that U.S. Senators Udall (D-CO) and Bennet (D-CO) recently announced that Colorado will receive $30 million to address the impacts of the bark and spruce beetle epidemics. Almost 3 million acres of dead lodgepole pine trees have already been tapped for biomass.
Udall and Bennet wrote a letter last fall to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vislack, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, urging him to provide emergency funding to Colorado to address the threat to public safety, infrastructure, and the environment. On Dec. 8, Vislak dedicated $40 million to the cause. Two months later, Udall announced that the bulk of that would go to Colorado. Protecting people and property against fire hazard and falling trees will be the funding’s principal purpose.
Udall also has authored legislation to tackle the state’s beetle kill problem. The National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act of 2009 (S. 2798) would designate emergency “beetle kill disaster” areas, allowing the federal government to compensate individuals for removing dead trees. The bill would create incentives for converting dead trees into biofuels, authorize the Forest Service to expedite work in areas full of dead trees and create a “good neighbor authority” that would allow the Forest Service to contract with state foresters to reduce threats next to homes and private property.
The bill has been stuck in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources since it was introduced in November.
More on the story is available here.
Image: Flickr/Tim Gage
