Show FACES SECOND CATASTROPHE 00 BARK BEETLE INI INFESTS ESTS FOREST RECREATIONAL RE RE- AND SCENIC ASSETS ENDANGERED BY PEST 00 00 Special to the Record Ogden Utah Jan 31 31 The The Forest and the Grand Canyon National Park timber faces a second catastrophe similar similar simi simi- lar to that which overtook the Black Hills of South Dakota twenty years ago when two billion billion billion bil bil- bil- bil lion board feet measure of pine timber was destroyed by the bark beetle infestation in a short time states R. R H H. H Rutledge Distrct Distrct Dis Dig 4 4 with headquarters at Ogden Ogden Og Og- Og den Utah Unless effective methods on a considerably larger larg larg- er scale can be employed ed in the near near future future a possible second Black Hills catastrophe looms up ahead This would be a tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre calamity both from the viewpoint of the recreation and scenic assets endangered and the potential million dollar lumber industry of southern Utah and Arizona In 1895 it was first noticed that beetles were killing the pine in the Black Hills Three years years later acres were covered in 1901 they were widespread and doing tremendous damage so that they swept through the stands of pine and and- andin in a short period of years succeeded in killing killing kill kill- ing approximately two billion boar feet of g timber both b d young trees A few scattered r d fr trees es left here and there are now reforesting the area A tremendous loss in merchantable merchantable merchantable mer mer- timber was sustained at the time which was edin the Black Hills by the fact that a a number of lumber companies companies com com- were in a position to log the timber and to utilize much of it it- for railroad ties Destruction Destruction tion of the 1 Kaibab National Forest For For- est eat timber at this time would be virtually complete as there is practically no tn market rk t for this timber cl close s at hand and a wide market c can n only be secured through gh the construction of a railroad in that a thing which is not practical at atthe the present present pre pre- sent time Th The st stand of timber timberon on the K Kaibab Kaibab- National Forest amounts practically to two bi bilion billion bit bil lion board feet and and- it is quite possible that unless unless' these bark beetles rae properly c controlled in the immediate future the future the entire entire en en- tire amount may be wiped swiped out exception of a scattering scattering scatter scatter- ing of es' es h arel not as favorable for breeding grounds forthe insects as large thick barked ones Such outbreaks of beetles of-beetles beetles occur occur oc oc- cur i Iri In stands of of- western este n yellow yellowpine yellowpine pine from time and run their course with more or less de The beetles always always al al- al ways exist in the timber timber but but for some isome reason not at at present und understood they increase periodically per per- periodically Uy more rapidly than their natural enemies which in normal normal nor nor- mal times hold them in check On the Kaibab 1 Forest orest they are arenow arenow arenow now swarming over over large areas where they never existed in al' al ate doing a great amount of damage in spite of f sm small scale control measures measures that been in effect the last two years ears South of Jacobs Jacob's Lake Ranger Station on the main traveled road a single group of over one h hundred and eighty trees was noted last fall faU which had recently been belm killed by these beetles Destruction n of this kind will be sufficient to ukel takeaway awa away a great d off deal the beauty of the Forest even though it may not be severe enough to entirely wipe out any large tracts of timber The stand of dead trees will make a hideous blot on the landscape and ned the tourist instead of find find- Ing jt it a I green oasis after passing passing pass pass- ing through the desert of southern south ern Utah and northern Arizona will find it an area of dead snags utterly unpleasing as a place to stop and camp Fortunately we are rather better situated at present said Mr Rutledge than they were wee thirty years ears ago in the case of Black Hills Hill as as that was the first large outbreak of this thi be beetle tle that was experienced in inthe inthe inthe the West and nothing was known about bout methods for its how to control it All that is control At At- present we know necessary is to to- get geta a a sufficient amount of money to do the rather rath rath- er extensive work which is required required required re re- in holding down devastating devastating devast devast- I outbreaks of this kind Plans are now being made for for-a vigorous campaign early in the spring T |