What is the bark beetle problem all about?
In San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Los Angeles counties, hundreds of thousands of trees, weakened by years of drought in mountainous regions, are dead or dying due to widespread infestation by an insect called the bark beetle. On March 7, 2003, an executive order by the governor proclaimed a state of emergency in the three affected counties. A 2005 proclamation extended the emergency 2003 proclamation to affected areas of Los Angeles County. The situation poses a potential hazard to the people and property in the affected communities that we serve, as well as to our facilities. Areas most heavily impacted by the infestation include Idyllwild, Wrightwood, and Lake Arrowhead. In 2003 the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), now know as Cal Fire estimated more than a million trees had already died. The number of dead trees will continue to increase as drought continues and the bark beetle infestation spreads.
