Lemonade

Almost anything can look good in the right light. Take for instance, this tree. It has a nice warm red tone that goes well with the green surrounding it. That warmth is only enhanced by the early morning sun.

However, I can only see what it represents. I don't think that this will ever look pleasing to me. This tree is dead as a result of Mountain Pine Beetle damage. This bark beetle is native to North America from Mexico to Canada. The beetles bore into the tree for food and egg laying. This usually results in the death of the tree.

The current epidemic is much bigger than epidemics in the past, and effects millions of acres of trees western North America. The severness of this outbreak is believed to be caused by a number of factors, such as: recent droughts weakening trees, a series warm winters, past fire control strategies.

During our recent vacation, we spent some time in Steamboat Springs. I was appalled at how bad it had become. I was last in the Steamboat Springs area about 2 yrs ago. The difference between then and now is astounding and very depressing.

All I could think about was the loss of beauty and wildlife habitat, the future fires feed by all the dead wood, the erosion, etc.

While it’s not good, it’s not all bad. While in Kremmling, Co, we talked to the lady at the Visitor's Center. She says it’s a mixed bag - the death of all those trees is providing a lot of employment. There are a lot of dead trees that if left standing could be very dangerous. Besides providing fuel for fires, there is also danger from the trees falling. There are many campgrounds, picnic grounds and even forest roads that are becoming increasingly dangerous due to the threat of falling trees. Many people are finding employment logging these dead trees.

Additionally, the pine beetles leave behind a blue fungus that stains the wood. There are some that consider it beautiful. I've seen decorative items carved from it as well as furniture, paneling and cabinets. I think that it's better to use the already dead wood rather than cutting down new trees. However, apparently the market for beetle-killed wood is rather small.

Another use for the dead wood is as a source for creating cellulosic ethanol. According to the Rocky Mountain News, a Canadian company plans to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Colorado, which would convert beetle-kill, among other wood waste, into ethanol fuel.

But more than that, the death of these trees open up eco-zones for other plants (aspens, wildflowers, and grasses) and animals (deer, elk, etc).

I don’t think that these thing make up for the death of many millions of trees. It is simply an attempt to make lemonade. It does however, leave me wondering “What can I do”?

That’s my world this Tuesday. Be sure to visits other worlds at My World Tuesday.