Removal of Beetle-Killed Trees Gives New Look to Lost Creek State Park

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Visitors to Lost Creek State Park near Anaconda may notice some changes in the landscape at the park this season.   Hazardous trees, all dead or dying from pine beetle damage, were removed from 39 acres at the park this spring, creating a new look for many areas the park.

Many of the trees that were removed were near the park’s roadways, picnic areas and campground, where visitor safety is a top concern. Beetle-killed trees can be a safety hazard because they are more susceptible to fire, and their weakened condition makes them more prone to falling over or loosing limbs and branches

  “We identified parts of the park with the greatest levels of beetle damage and the most visitor use and focused our thinning efforts there,” said Lee Bastian, Montanan Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Parks Manager. “We’ll be replanting most of the thinned areas, but visitors should expect a park that looks quite a bit different from what they remember.”

Thinning the trees also helps to make the remaining trees less stressed and prone to pine beetle attack.   Pine beetles damage a layer of the tree underneath the bark, eventually killing the trees by cutting off the flow of water and nutrients.  

Many of the trees were salvaged for lumber.  

Clean-up efforts from the project should be completed by early summer, and then the thinned areas will be replanted with Engelman Spruce and Douglas Fir.

  The park is slated to open Friday, May 23. The opening is several weeks behind the normal May 1 opener due to snow that persisted on park roads and campgrounds into early May.

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