Pine Beetle: Problem and Impact

           The mountain pine beetle is causing a major problem in B.C. because it is destroying the pine forests that are important to the provinces economy.  Before global warming the pine beetle used to die off in the winter due the extreme cold, when temperatures of -30°C for a few days would kill them.  Now the warmer winters are causing infestations of the pine beetle that are killing large numbers of trees and sometimes whole forests. The provincial and federal governments are concerned the beetles will spread east across Canada.

          Due to so many pine trees being destroyed, people who work in the forest industry are losing jobs and the companies themselves are losing millions of dollars in profits. Forestry companies in B.C. have lost over 600 million dollars since the infestations started. The pine beetle is also affecting the 103 first nation tribes living in B.C. They depend on the pine trees for their survival. The loss of the trees means a loss of income and a loss of habitat for animals and birds they hunt. Fish are also affected because the loss of trees causes erosion along riverbanks and lakes that destroy fish habitats. 

  Dead Trees From Mountain Pine Beetle     

Since global warming doesn’t seem to be going away it is up to the federal and provincial governments as well as the forestry companies to find solutions to the problem. Funding for more research and environmental studies should be allocated to slow down or get the pine beetles under control. Also, the public needs to be made more aware of the issue and the environmental damage the beetles cause so that more pressure can be put on both governments and forest industry to act. The longer they wait the more difficult the problem will become and the more likely the infestation will spread to other parts of Canada.