Forest service looks to the future after beetle epidemic

After 15 years of the mountain pine beetle epidemic killing pine species in around 4 million acres of forest in the southern Wyoming and northern Colorado, the United States Forest Service is looking toward a new era of forest restoration.

Phil Cruz, Forest Supervisor with the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, said timber management on the forest has focused on reducing or removing dead and dying trees from key areas like campgrounds, roadsides and power line corridors. The forest service has been working on the removal of the key areas and around communities over the last several years,...