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here. - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

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ok a n a g a n tSa<br />

Bark Beetles<br />

The area <strong>of</strong> mountain pine beetle red attack has remained<br />

nearly unchanged from 2011 levels, at 44,091<br />

hectares, while the number <strong>of</strong> small spot infestations<br />

has declined slightly, to 683. In general, the mountain<br />

pine beetle has subsided in the north end <strong>of</strong> the TSA but<br />

continues to move <strong>and</strong> infest st<strong>and</strong>s to the south. The area<br />

<strong>of</strong> attacked mature lodgepole pine has decreased slightly,<br />

from just over 40,000 hectares in 2011 to 38,022 hectares<br />

in 2012, while attack in ponderosa pine has increased,<br />

from 3,557 hectares to 5,800 hectares. Attack intensity<br />

remained low in most st<strong>and</strong>s, with only 3,710 hectares,<br />

or 8% <strong>of</strong> the total area, being classified as moderate or<br />

severe. Red attack levels continued to decline throughout<br />

the Cherryville <strong>and</strong> Aberdeen Plateau areas, due mainly<br />

to host depletion. Attack is slowly increasing in the Hydraulic<br />

Lake - Highway 33, Keremeos - Winters Creek<br />

<strong>and</strong> Ellis Creek areas. Attack is still quite widespread<br />

throughout the Trepanier Creek, Brenda Mine, Eneas<br />

Lake, Trout Creek, June Creek, Mission Creek, Chute<br />

Lake, <strong>and</strong> Penticton areas. Areas east <strong>of</strong> Penticton have extensive high hazard pine st<strong>and</strong>s that are still relatively<br />

free <strong>of</strong> attack but are at high risk. Mountain pine beetle is active in the Ashnola around Trapper Lake but otherwise<br />

remains endemic in that part <strong>of</strong> the TSA. Attack in plantation-aged pine was low, with only 263 hectares <strong>of</strong> trace<br />

mortality recorded. Ponderosa pine mortality was most widespread near Garnet Valley, Summerl<strong>and</strong>, Shingle<br />

Creek, Faulder, <strong>and</strong> Winfield. A total <strong>of</strong> 5,806 hectares <strong>and</strong> 139 spot infestations were mapped.<br />

Douglas-fir beetle activity increased in several areas, especially in the Mara Lake, Cherryville, Chase Creek,<br />

Ashnola River, <strong>and</strong> T.F.L. #33 areas. In addition, populations remained high in several other areas, including<br />

Shuswap Lake, Blurton Creek, Falkl<strong>and</strong>, Ingram Creek, Salmon River, <strong>and</strong> Whiteman Creek. Overall area affected<br />

was up by over two-fold to 676 hectares, <strong>and</strong> an additional 329 spot infestations killed another 2,400 trees.<br />

St<strong>and</strong>s w<strong>here</strong> salvage harvesting has occurred to remove dead pine are experiencing increases in Douglas-fir beetle<br />

attack on residual Douglas-fir. These residual, open fir st<strong>and</strong>s are more susceptible to blowdown <strong>and</strong> thus attack<br />

by Douglas-fir beetle. Similar scenarios in the Merritt TSA have also led to st<strong>and</strong>s having higher susceptibility<br />

to damage from western spruce budworm.<br />

Western balsam bark beetle populations continued to be active <strong>and</strong> widespread across many <strong>of</strong> the high elevation<br />

plateau areas in the TSA. The main infestation areas were Hunters Range, Greystokes Plateau, Winnifred<br />

Creek, Spa Hills, Lichen Mountain, Pukeashun Mountain, Tahaetkun Mountain, Whiterocks Mountain, <strong>and</strong> Pennask<br />

Mountain.<br />

Although the area affected was not large, spruce beetle populations appear to be increasing in the Easygoing<br />

Creek drainage. A total <strong>of</strong> 214 hectares <strong>of</strong> new attack were mapped.<br />

<strong>Ministry</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Forests</strong>, <strong>L<strong>and</strong>s</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Resource</strong> <strong>Operations</strong>, Kamloops, B.C.<br />

24<br />

A st<strong>and</strong> near Hydraulic Lake experiencing<br />

an increasing level <strong>of</strong> mountain pine beetle<br />

attack, Okanagan TSA.

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