One of our website readers said while hiking up the Kearsarge Pass trail he noted that nearly every Red Fir and White Fir had entire limbs of dead needles, the characteristic red color of bark-beetle infestation. Does the Eastern Sierra now have a bark beetle problem? We checked with the Forest Service. Their response was inconclusive.
Forester Scott Kusumoto, by way of Public Information Officer Nancy Upham, said that it is the time of year when even confiers begin shedding their no longer needed needles. He said that the trees our reader observed “could possibly have been under attack from bark beetles if they did see some streaming of pitch or sap on the tree.” The report we got said there was pitch and sap and seeming beetle exit holes on some of the trees.
The Forester said he and others “might have to see for ourselves to determine.” That is all that was available on bark beetles in Inyo National Forest. Nationwide, last week a federal report was issued by the Forest Service to say that fewer trees are dying in the nation’s forests and that bark beetle damage in the West is slowing down.
That official report says that the number of dead trees on 750 million acres of public and private forests across America is on the decline for the second straight year with most of the reductions seen in western states where bark beetles have infested millions of trees, according to the Forest Service report.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said, “Native insects and diseases run in cycles, and right now we are grateful the trend is downward.” Tidwell also said, “While the news is good, we are certain to continue to face challenges, such as the effects of climate change and the introduction of invasive species.”
Let’s get back to the original story now. Many people to see dead foliage and assume a specific “cause of death.” Needles can turn red for a multitude of reasons, not just bark beetles. The red is caused by the lack of photosynthesis, presence of water and the amount of… Read more »
I should have signed off as:
Fred Richter
Forester
U.S. Forest Service, Retired
i’ve seen rocks placed on trails before where they were diverting rain and snow melt off the trail, usualy slanted across the trail and buried in the dirt with just a few inchs sticking above ground, usualy made up of 5 or more football sized rocks. it could be these… Read more »
whenever I see that, its usually someone giving directions to friends that are arriving at the trail later. You said it was triangle shaped, an arrow?……I see logs in arrow shapes all the time. Sad thing is they dont remove them when the adventure is over…..the trails that have rock… Read more »
What I’d like to know is who are the people that are putting rocks in the middle of all the trails, Kearsarge included? I have nearly hurt myself numerous times from these loose rocks placed on trails, they are in lines of 3 to 5 rocks or sometimes triangle patterns.… Read more »
Sounds like Friends of the Inyo. They are experts at blocking roads and trails that people use to enjoy nature.
Friends of the Inyo has spent many hours this summer helping to maintain and keep open trails in our area. Go to http://www.friendsoftheinyo.org for some truth. We with partners worked to remove logs in the Red’s Meadow blowdown. Go for a walk and see the work. And if you are… Read more »
Haven’t made Pine Creek this year, but Bishop Creek, Rock Creek, and all the trails out of Onion Valley, plus a few dirt roads around Independence.
Mr. Wilson, I too have suspected Friends of the Inyo of putting rocks on the trails, because it seems like a misguided attempt at trail maintenence. I sent an Email to FOI, asking about a practice they call “rocking” on their website, and never recieved a response. If it were… Read more »
When on the FOI website rocking means removing the ankle breaker rocks from the trail. When we do trail work the crew member will remove these rocks from the trail. I have spent about 30 days in the Sierra backcountry this year hiking and backpacking and have seen no rocks… Read more »
If your hiking up in Pine Creek…there are some local climbers putting up new routes about an hours hike up the trail. In an effort to clean up their route, they are knocking rocks onto the trail regardless of hikers and horses below.
Sierra Gal,
The rocks I’m talking about are in patterns that are not random, and they are in fact, sometimes in spots on the trail where they would have to be carried from some distance and placed there.
How odd…I was just on the Kearsarge Pass trail on Saturday and did not a see a single intentionally placed rock on the trail all the way to Glen Pass. I was also in Rock Creek on Friday and Bishop Creek on Sunday and saw no intentionally placed rocks on… Read more »
Sierra Gal, I’ve been cleaning rocks off the Kearsarge trail all summer, maybe thats why you didn’t see any. You must not be paying attention if you hike a lot and have not noticed this new phenomenon. And to Mr. Wilson, I passed you on Little Lakes trail on 9-17,… Read more »
the whole top of June mountain has been infested for the last decade at least……is this news?