US authorities close campsites amid beetle fears

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

SALMON, Idaho (AFP) — A small beetle wreaking havoc on forests in the western United States has prompted authorities to shut down a host of campgrounds for the summer amid fears that ravaged trees could topple over.

Officials have closed 21 campsites in northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming because of the hazards posed by the handiwork of the bark beetle, which is killing a record number of conifers across Western states.

Trees infested by the beetles are easily toppled by wind, creating potentially dangerous conditions for campers and picnickers.

"If there is a fatality in a campground because of a natural event affecting a healthy tree, if it's a freak accident, that's one thing," said Liz Close, recreation director for the US Forest Service.

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