KOTA Territory NewsOfficials look into ways to squash Mountain Pine Beetle

Officials look into ways to squash Mountain Pine Beetle

Matthew Horn

MatthewHorn@kotatv.com

It's not just the problem of the Mountain Pine Beetle, but the solution to it. Which is catching the attention of some of our US lawmakers.

At the Forest Service's Mystic Ranger Office, Rep.Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin meets with Forest and Park Service officers to talk about the continued effect the pine beetle has had. The beetles continue to kill trees, hurt the timber industry and increase the fire risk in KOTA Territory.

This prompted officers at Mt. Rushmore to form a plan to stop the pest from wreaking havoc on the national monument. After three years of thinning trees and buffering the forests. Park service officers have made some progress: eliminating pockets of infested trees and preventing further infestation at Mt. Rushmore.

And the park's superintendent Gerard Baker and Herseth-Sandlin say the results show the bug can be squashed.
 
"For years we've been working with our neighbors and we've been thinning our trees, we've been pretty successful with that," said Baker
 
Herseth-Sandlin added, "I'm far more optimistic than many of my colleagues in many other parts of the country. "
 
 
Mt Rushmore's plan is posted on the National Park's Website.