Beetle Blitz Mountain Pine Beetle Mitigation Program
A community-driven program to stop the mountain pine beetle infestation before it becomes the next Hayman Fire — protecting Park County’s forests, homes, and the watershed that supplies water to 1.8 million Coloradans.
The threat
The infestation has grown 19× in four years.
What beetle kill does to forests
Beetle-killed trees dramatically increase wildfire fuel loads. A single high-severity fire in Park County’s forests — like the 2002 Hayman Fire in the same watershed — would cost hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and decades of recovery.
Why timing is everything
Beetles nest over winter and fly to new host trees starting in July. Removing infested trees before summer is the only effective intervention. Poor snowpack and high winds in 2025–2026 have weakened trees, elevating this season’s risk.
The watershed connection
This isn’t just about trees.
The forests FAPCo protects sit upstream of the water supply for 1.8 million Coloradans.
A wildfire in the Rock/Elk/Deer Creek sub-basins would send sediment into the reservoir chain above — increasing water treatment costs and threatening water quality for millions of people downstream. The 2002 Hayman Fire cost Denver Water and Aurora Water over $25 million in reservoir cleanup alone.
The program
Attacking the beetle in alignment with its lifecycle.
Property owners can also help slow the spread between mitigation seasons with a seasonal Verbenone bulk purchase, which helps deter beetles from targeting healthy trees.
Infested Tree Removal
Remove actively infested green trees while beetles are nesting inside. Cutting before larvae mature and adults fly eliminates the next generation before it can spread to neighboring trees.
Reduces beetle spreadDead Tree Removal
Remove red and dead beetle-killed trees. These standing dead trees contain no live beetles but represent the primary wildfire fuel hazard — turning forests into tinderboxes that threaten homes and the watershed.
Reduces wildfire riskData-Driven Management
Every property is tracked from signup through completed mitigation on a purpose-built digital platform — generating live maps, automated KPI reporting, and real accountability for every acre treated.
Measurable outcomes2026 season progress
Program at work in Park County.
Program totals for Properties Assessed, Mitigation Completed, Trees Mitigated, and Acres Treated will be posted here once the 2026 season is underway — check back soon.
Get involved
Is your property at risk? Join the waiting list for a free assessment.
Once program funding is confirmed, FAPCo and PCFPD staff will conduct free on-site property walks to evaluate beetle activity, score your risk, and recommend a mitigation plan — at no cost to you. Join the waiting list below and we’ll contact you as soon as assessments open.
Beetle Blitz Assessment Waiting List
Sign up now to be contacted as soon as property assessments open in your area.
Park County fire protection districts
