10 Years Strong:
The Steamboat Springs Bark Beetle Information Task Force Forges Ahead
By Lucia Novara
Cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Steamboat Springs' Bark Beetle Information Task Force has been embracing this philosophy since its inception ten years ago.
Originally formed in 1999, the task force began as an educational group after the Routt Divide Blowdown (a windstorm that uprooted 13,000 acres of trees) triggered a spruce beetle epidemic. The group was formed to address local's concerns about the blowdown and its potential impact on the environment and tourism in the region. Focusing on public education, the group began disseminating information to the community with publications and public service announcements (PSA's).
The drought-triggered pine beetle epidemic was unforeseen at the time, but as that issue emerged, the task force incorporated it into their educational mission, along with information on fuel reduction and fire education.
Representatives from a variety of organizations including community groups, state and city governing bodies, and corporations make up the group and all of the founding member organizations are still involved in the task force today.
Diann Ritschard, Public Affairs Specialist for the US Forest Service, notes that it is unusual for such a group to remain committed for ten years, and cites the two different beetle epidemics and the continued need for public education as the reason for its longevity.
"The work they're doing is important because this is an issue that's not going away. It's important for our community to understand what's happening, what may happen, and how to protect ourselves," says Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak.
The task force conducts a number of educational programs including publications, PSAs, and community seminars. A recent campaign, "Be Green-Buy Blue" promoted the use of beetle kill wood in home building and décor. Trees killed by mountain pine beetles have a distinctive blue coloring; the wood retains all of its strength, and the blue tint can create beautiful and unusual accent pieces. Using local beetle kill wood significantly reduces the carbon footprint of creating building materials since it does not need to be transported, and at the same time reduces fuel for forest fires.
The Bark Beetle Information Task Force demonstrates the power of diverse community groups coming together for a common goal. "Everybody does a little piece, that's the beauty of it," Ritschard says, "Each agency chips in, and those small pieces add to up to achieve or exceed what we need."
The task force can be proud of its impact across the region over the past ten years. Ritschard cites surveys from Chamber of Commerce events that show eighty-nine percent of the population is well aware of the effects of the two different beetle epidemics and conduct well-informed discussions about these issues. Beyond information, entire subdivisions have gone into action clearing dead trees out of their neighborhoods for aesthetic and fire-safety reasons.
"We try to keep this a community affair," says Jim Weber, task force member and Special Projects Manager for the city, "The people we're dealing with are our neighbors and they know us. We've built up trust based on accuracy over time."
The task force's mission in the coming decade will be guided by nature. Whether large fires become more frequent, or standing dead trees create more of a hazard, they are prepared to inform the public about issues that affect their environment and livelihoods. "We are planning an environment for our grandkids. Things have changed, and we're trying to usher in a new forest. These are not ecological disasters, they are natural occurrences, but they have impacts on human environments," Ritschard says.
The task force will celebrate its tenth anniversary by planting saplings in the surrounding national forests. They gave indigenous seeds to a nursery to grow saplings, and local school children will participate in regenerating forests they will enjoy for the rest of their lives. 
Features
The Beetle Kill Issue
10 Years Strong
Building Green With Beetle Kill Wood
A Cut Above - Harvesting and Milling
Securing Safer Forests by Salvaging Snags
Stimulus Funding Hits the Ground
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The Green Scene
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