ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK—Rocky Mountain National Park crews are using a high-temperature furnace to destroy trees killed by bark beetles to help keep the bugs from running rampant.
Park biologist Brian Verhulst says that simply cutting the dead trees down doesn’t get rid of beetle eggs, which could hatch and unleash more beetles on other trees.
The burner heats up to 1,800 degrees and cost the park $80,000.
Verhulst says park crews will more than double the number of beetle-infested trees they cut down this year.
They’re not trying to eradicate the beetles because they’re are a native species, but they want to preserve the trees in campgrounds and around culturally significant areas such as historic buildings and ranches.
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Information from: KCNC-TV,
