Pine beetles menace 4 billion board feet
By HEIDI SWILLINGER
Of ttw Emaratd
While California wages war
on the Mediterranean fruit fly,
Oregon is fighting its own insect
battle with the Mountain Pine
Beetle
About the size of a grain of
rice, the dark brown insect,
partial to the Oregon lodgepole
pine destroys a tree by burrow
ing under the bark and laying
eggs
However, the real killer is a
blue-stain fungus transmitted by
the beetle according to Jim
Swaby. entomologist for the
Oregon Department of Forestry
The fungus which affects a
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trees circulatory system, even
tually could be responsible tor
the loss of 2 to 4 billion board
feet of timber in central Oregon,
dwarfing in scope the 1 6 billion
board feet lost after last year s
eruption of Mt St Helens
Swaby says using chemicals
to combat the beetle is finan
cially unfeasible since the in
sects aren't affected by sprays
once they've burrowed beneath
the bark While he says a
preventative spray is available
for trees of aesthetic value
around homes every tree in the
forest would have to be sprayed
from top to bottom in order to
make the pesticide effective
"Thinning trees is the only
way to save a (pine) stand
Swaby says He says reducing
the number of trees competing
for nutrients is the only feasible
way to manage the beetle infes
tation, which has increased by
70 percent every year since
1978
The Mountain Pine Beetle is a
natural component of the pine
ecosystem in eastern Oregon
Swaby says Along with forest
fires the beetle "is nature s way
of managing the lodgepole
pine
But the current infestation
has reached epidemic propor
tions since a number of lodge
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pole pine stands have reached
the age and diameter the bee
tles consider choice tor breed
ing
"We've eliminated Mother
Nature s ability to manage the
beetle with fire because it would
be impossible to let that much
acreage bum," Swaby says
"If fire didn't kill (the pines),
the beetle would ' he says "It s
six of one and half a dozen of
another."
He says this particular beetle
outbreak could last as long as
20 years
"If we don't do something to
manage trees now people
40-60 years from now will be
looking at the same outbreak ''
he predicts
Massive infestations of the
beetle have plagued Ponderosa
pine stands in Colorado for the
last 10 years says Bill Aquadro
a forester with the Colorado
State Forest Service
He says the only way to com
bat the problem is by handpick
ing infested trees and then cut
ting them down
"A preventative spraying is
impossible unless you re an in
dividual landowner and want to
protect a few trees around your
home " he says
Aquadro says that if infested
trees are cut down before they
are dead the lumber is usually
salvageable It's perfectly
good wood." he says, explain
ing that the blue tint caused by
the fungus makes a real nice
blue stain that s used a lot in
paneling ”
"It has great ornamental pur
poses "
Swaby says it’s impossible to
tell how much money Oregon
will lose due to the beetle He
says the state can expect only a
5-percent loss recovery once
the trees have been killed
However he says if the trees
are harvested while still green, a
much larger percentage proba
bly can be recovered
But it will close this week
Center offers inexpensive
tour opportunities abroad
Students who plan to travel in
the near future should be
warned that this is the last week
to obtain international student
travel I D cards and youth hos
tel information from the Student
Travel Center
Jill Freisem outgoing director
of the Student Travel Center
will hold office hours this week
in Suite 1 of the EMU from 3pm
to 5 p m Wednesday and from 9
a m to 11 a m on Friday
Originally the Student Travel
Center had planned to close its
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doors during summer session
because o 1 a lack of funding and
because of construction work
being done at its usual head
quarters in Rm 202 of the EMU
However because of a large
demand for youth hostel infor
mation and student I D cards,
the IFC granted emergency
summer funding and provided
temporary office space in the
EMU so help could be given to
inquiring travellers
The International Student I D
Card costs $6 and can be ob
tained by filing a short applica
tion form showing proof of
student status as of Spring of
1981 along with a "vending
machine size photo (1 1/2' X
2") Holders of the card are
eligible for a number of student
privileges including reduced
admissions to museums and
discounts on transportation and
accommodations
In addition, the American
Youth Hostel Card entitles
students to stay in relatively in
expensive youth hostels where
prices for a night s lodging
range from $2 to S6 The Youth
Hostel card which costs $14 for
people 18 years old or older
can be used in the United States
and 50 other countries Mem
bership in American Youth
Hostels. Inc , is open to in
dividuals. families and groups of
all ages and nationalities
Freisem says the Student
Travel Center offers some ser
vices not offered by travel
agencies For example the
Center provides information for
students who want to work
abroad as well as charter flight
information not available
through travel agencies
The Center will re-open in the
fall in Rm 202 of the EMU where
its travel library, catalogs and
programs are located
Because of budget con
straints next year's office hours
will be sporadic, and office
space probably will have to be
shared Freisem says
But, for now, travellers with
questions can call 686-3724 or
stop by the Travel Center during
office hours
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