Southern pine beetles continue march in Tennessee

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Posted 1:50PM on Monday, February 25, 2002

KNOXVILLE - The spread of Southern pine beetles is grinding to a halt in some parts of the state, but the tree-killing insects are still on the move across a broad band of East Tennessee. "I wish I could say there will be a downturn in Southern pine beetles in all areas of the state this spring and summer, but unfortunately it's too early for that," said Bruce Kauffman, Tennessee Department of Agriculture forest health specialist. Hoffman said the beetles are still spreading across the southern half of East Tennessee and up the Tennessee Valley into Union, Hawkins, Campbell and Claiborne counties. Since 1998, the beetles have destroyed some 100,000 acres of pine forests covering 66 counties across the state. In 44 of those 66 counties the infestation has reached epidemic levels. Kauffman said that while outbreaks of Southern pine beetles naturally occur about every 10 years, the current infestation is particularly severe due to a build up of mature pines, dry weather and consecutive mild winters. He said the current beetle infestation is considered the worst in Tennessee history. Forestry officials say 25 million tons of pine trees valued at about $350 million have been lost on all forested lands excluding the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee National Forest. Across the upper Cumberland Plateau, where Southern pine beetles already have killed half of the pine trees, the insects are at the end of their five-year boom cycle and are not expected to widen their range this spring and summer, Kauffman said. Scott, Fentress and Pickett counties are among the upper Cumberland Plateau counties where the pine beetle outbreak appears to have peaked. According to aerial surveys conducted last fall and this winter, the beetles' infestation is also slowing down in Rhea, Anderson, Meigs and Roane counties. "In many places the beetles have simply run out of live trees," Kauffman said. Meantime, the pine beetle outbreak is still building in the southern Cumberland Plateau, including Cumberland, Bledsoe, White, Van Buren and Marion counties, and the southern portion of East Tennessee, including the Cherokee National Forest south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.