2011 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests Acknowledgments Thanks to William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Fort Collins, Colo., for his assistance in the development of this report and his work as a contributing author and photographer. Thanks to the following Colorado State Forest Service employees who served on the Report Working Group and/or provided information, guidance and feedback. Joseph A. Duda (Project Lead), Forest Management Division Supervisor, State Office S. Sky Stephens, Forest Entomologist, Forest Management Division, State Office Shelly Simmons, Assistant District Forester, La Junta District Rich Edwards, Assistant Staff Forester, Forest Management Division, State Office Jan Hackett, Policy and Legislative Affairs Program Manager, Outreach Division, State Office Megan Halford, Assistant District Forester, Franktown District Ryan Lockwood, Public and Media Relations Coordinator, Outreach Division, State Office Lisa Mason, Outreach Forester, Outreach Division, State Office Benjamin Pfohl, Assistant District Forester, Boulder District Kelly Rogers, District Forester, Grand Junction District GayLene Rossiter, Web Manager, Outreach Division, State Office Gregory D. Sundstrom, Assistant Staff Forester, Forest Management Division, State Office Matt Tansey, GIS Program Manager, State Office Thanks to those who reviewed and/or provided information for this report: Justin Backsen, Forestry Technician, Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service Kelly Sullivan Burns, Forest Pathologist, USDA Forest Service Bob Cain, Entomologist, Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service Whitney Cranshaw, Extension Entomologist, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University Brian Howell, Aerial Survey Program Manager, Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service William Jacobi, Professor of Plant Pathology, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University Dave Leatherman, Forest Entomologist (Retired), Colorado State Forest Service Roy Mask, Gunnison Service Center Group Leader, Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service Ned Tisserat, Extension Plant Pathologist, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University Ralph Zentz, Assistant City Forester, City of Fort Collins Special thanks to: Judy Serby, Conservation Education Program Manager, and Katherine Timm, Outreach Division Supervisor, Colorado State Forest Service, for providing leadership in the production of this report. All photos by Bill Ciesla unless otherwise noted. Cover photo: © 2011 Colorado State University, John Eisele Photo, page 19, Kathryn Hardgrave Photo, top of page 23, Shelly Simmons Photo, page 37, Clinton Bellingar January 2012 It is once again my pleasure to present the annual report on the health of Colorado’s forests. This is the 11th consecutive year we have produced a report on the issues affecting Colorado’s forests, as well as the actions we can take to address those issues for the benefit of present and future generations. Over the last 10 years, Colorado’s forests have undergone significant changes. I have heard the public and political concerns about the condition of our forests, and related questions regarding what the future holds. The information we have developed and presented in this series of forest health reports, along with our collective experience in managing forested land, addresses these concerns and provides a sound foundation for planning. The fundamental questions we need to ask are What do we want our future forests to look like? and What do we want them to provide for us? Now is the right time to address these questions. We depend on our forests to provide a variety of resources and values; one of the most important is clean water. Forest planning is a long-term process, and the decisions we make today will have profound impacts on the form, function and productivity of our future forests. I hope you will find the information contained in this report to be informative and helpful. Please feel free to contact any Colorado State Forest Service office to learn more about our forests and what you can do to help manage and protect this important resource. Jeff Jahnke State Forester/Director Colorado State Forest Service Executive Summary The objective of the 2011 Report on the forests increased for the third successive Health of Colorado’s Forests is to provide year to 275,000 acres in 2011. Most of information on the condition of our forests the mortality in ponderosa pine forests to the Colorado General Assembly and occurred in Larimer County, north of the citizens of Colorado. In the first 10 reports, Big Thompson River. we provided this information, along with In the 2007 Report on the Health of sections that specifically addressed the Colorado’s Forests, we identified spruce various forest types in Colorado. This year’s bark beetle as the next forest insect report again presents a comprehensive challenge. This year, spruce beetle overview of the health of Colorado’s continued to impact mature Engelmann forests. It also provides insight on the spruce forests in many areas of the state. stewardship of our forests and the wood The largest outbreak, in the San Juan products they produce, as well as a special Mountains and upper Rio Grande Basin, section on the forests of the Great Plains. has spread north and now poses a threat As always, the primary data source to spruce forests on adjacent private lands. for this report is the annual aerial survey Most of the mature spruce trees already conducted by the Colorado State Forest have been killed in the Weminuche Service and USDA Forest Service (USFS). Wilderness, but active infestations Another data source for these reports continue in younger stands and in is the Colorado Forest Inventory and krummholz at the edge of timberline. Analysis (FIA) Program, funded by the Spruce beetle infestations also continued USFS and conducted on the ground by to build in the Greenhorn Peak area of the CSFS personnel. Every year, 10 percent Wet Mountains, where blowdown events of the 4,500 permanent forest plots in occurred in 2007 following a severe storm. Colorado are surveyed as part of the Additionally, infestations in Larimer program. In 2011, the first 10-year cycle County continued to impact mature of forest inventory data across Colorado spruce stands in the vicinity of Cameron was completed. A subset of FIA plots also Pass, Long Draw Reservoir and the Cache are revisited annually to measure and La Poudre Basin. track changes to forest conditions. The Other bark beetles that continued to FIA Program and other forms of forest damage Colorado forests in 2011 include monitoring data will continue to provide Douglas-fir beetle, which killed many essential information that will guide our mature Douglas-fir trees in the Sangre forest management activities and help us de Cristo and San Juan mountains, and western balsam bark beetle, which be proactive in addressing changing forest affected many high-elevation subalpine fir forests. An increase in activity conditions. by the piñon ips beetle also was noted in piñon pine forests north of Cañon Mountain pine beetle (MPB) continued City. to be Colorado’s most damaging forest pest Defoliation of Douglas-fir and white fir by western spruce budworm in 2011, with the heaviest damage again continued across portions of the Wet Mountains, Sangre de Cristo and occurring in Larimer County. However, Culebra ranges, and Spanish Peaks and San Juan Mountains, but at lower new tree mortality as a result of MPB infestation levels than in the recent past. A total area of 90,000 acres with declined in comparison to past years, some western spruce budworm defoliation was mapped in 2011. Forests with a total area of 752,000 acres infested, in portions of the Culebra Range, which have suffered defoliation for a compared to 878,000 acres in 2010. The number of years, have extensive top kill and tree mortality due to weakened decline in MPB activity is due to the loss trees caused by repeated western spruce budworm defoliation. of mature lodgepole pines in previous The area of aspen forests affected by sudden aspen decline (SAD) years of the outbreak. Despite the overall continued to decrease in 2011. Foresters believe this is due to a return to decline in acres infested by MPB, the area normal or near-normal precipitation levels, recovery of some individual of active infestation in ponderosa pine trees and a release of natural aspen regeneration in the understory of many stands with overstory mortality. 2 2011 Forest Health Report Thousand cankers disease continued to kill ornamental black walnut these include riparian forests, piñon- trees in urban forests and was observed for the first time in Fort Collins. juniper woodlands and forests planted as Special surveys once again were conducted to ensure early detection of windbreaks or in urban settings within our gypsy moth and emerald ash borer – two exotic insects that pose a threat to communities. These unique forests provide Colorado’s urban forests. Neither of these insects was detected in Colorado many essential benefits for people and in 2011. wildlife. Other pest activity detected in 2011 includes insect defoliation in aspen The CSFS continues to work with forests in portions of the Wet Mountains, Sangre de Cristo and Culebra private forest landowners, other ranges and San Juan Mountains, and an outbreak of an as-yet-unidentified cooperators and stakeholders to manage defoliating