DESTRUCTIVE BARK BEETLES ARE BACK IN THE SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST…AND THE DROUGHT IS BEING BLAMED. FOREST SPOKESMAN BRUCE HILL SAYS THE DRY CONDITIONS MAKE TREES MORE SUSEPTIBLE TO BARK BEETLE INFESTATIONS. HILL SAYS AN AERIAL SURVEY WILL BE DONE IN THE COMING WEEKS TO DETERMINE JUST HOW BAD THE INFESTATION IS. BARK BEETLES WIPED OUT HUGE AREAS OF PINON TREES IN THE SANTA FE AREA IN THE EARLY 2000’S.
