Udall renews plea for bark beetle money
DENVER — Colorado’s brisk wildfire season has U.S. Sen. Mark Udall asking whether there are enough federal resources and where and how money intended to reduce fire risk by removing trees killed by bark beetles is being spent .
The Colorado Democrat called today for an accounting of $30 million in federal money to fight bark beetle damage in Colorado and Wyoming.
In a letter to federal land managers, Udall suggested the $30 million may not be enough to both fight wildfires and clear dead wood. The fear is that beetle-killed trees heighten wildfire risk.
Udall renewed his request for $50 million more to fight bark beetle damage. In May, the Senate rejected the request, but Udall says he’ll keep trying.