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ECONOMY: Alberta government preparing to surrender to mountain pine beetles
        (AlbertaIndex, July 4, Friday) --- Alberta’s all-conquering conservative government could finally be headed for defeat as it reluctantly concedes the fight to stop mountain pine beetles from invading and destroying the province’s forests.
        The Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) Ministry said that not even Alberta’s cold winter temperatures of minus 30C and lower early this year could slow the beetle population growth in parts of the province.

Surveys conducted this May and June by the ministry revealed that the beetle had a survival rate across much of southwest Alberta and in several pockets of northern and west-central Alberta during the winter. Survey results also suggest the potential for long-term survival of beetles in portions of Alberta’s forests.

“Pine beetles may be here to stay in Alberta,” said Ted Morton, SRD Minister. “We have to work harder to manage infestations and ensure the populations remain low. Scientists are still telling us that strong action at this time can be an effective tool to control their spread in our forests.”

The ministry is taking into account the population trend surveys and analysis in its future action plans to address pine beetle infestations in Alberta. The information will be combined with aerial surveys of dead and dying pine trees later this summer to determined control work priorities in winter 2008-09.

Mountain pine beetles threaten the health of six million hectares of pine forest in Alberta. Infestations began in west-central Alberta in 2006, following a wind-assisted inflight of insects from British Columbia, and in southwest Alberta in 2002.

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