“Douglas Fir Beetle in the Roaring Fork Watershed”: Current Conditions and Future Outlook

Presentations are Wednesdays at 6pm at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, CO, and Thursdays at 6pm at Hallam Lake, in Aspen, CO.

About the Presentation

Are you noticing changes in our local forest? Join Colorado State Forest Entomologist Dr. Dan West as he explores the complex factors driving the Douglas-fir beetle outbreak, from biological interactions to climate change, and dives into how Douglas-fir forest might evolve over the next 20 years. Discover the realities of the current infestation and learn about management options and limitations.

About the Speaker

Dr. West serves as the State’s Forest Entomologist with the Colorado State Forest Service: CSU. He works on all forested lands, focusing on state and private forests, providing educational opportunities on emerging pest issues and best practice treatment options within the state. Dan conducts annual aerial surveys over 24 million forested areas of the state, researching emerging and ongoing forest disturbances. He also teaches at Colorado State University, and serves as a resource for insect-tree interactions. He received his Bachelor’s in Forestry and his Master’s and Doctorate in Entomology from Colorado State University. Previous to his role at the CSFS, he worked for the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey, surveying insect disturbances and ecological interactions within western forests suffering from bark beetle-caused mortality. Dan has extensive experience diagnosing urban tree health issues and western wildland forest tree damage.

Learn more about the Naturalist Nights series and upcoming speakers here.

*Registration for Wednesday night’s lecture in Carbondale can be found at wildernessworkshop.org.

With questions or comments about this program, please contact communityprograms@aspennature.org or call 970.925.5756.

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors!