Beetle blight

The U.S. Forest Service recently announced that an additional $40 million has been committed to addressing public-safety concerns and forest-health needs arising from bark beetle infestations in the West, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement to address concerns about the millions of acres of dead and dying trees caused by the beetle infestation. The funding will be provided to the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, where the insects have ravaged more than 2.5 million acres.

Included in the total is $5 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding the Forest Service has been using to reduce the risk of wildfires.

The aim of the allocation is to make forests more resilient to climate change and healthier for future generations.