Pine Beetle Control in Northern Alberta.

CANADA | Sunday, 23 June 2013 | Views [691] | View Smaller Image

A Bell 212 flies past an old burn pile with an infested tree, en-route to the next pile. Helicopters are frequently used for these control operations due to the remote locations of the infestations. The pine beetle's effect on the environment has been suggested to potentially lead to increased soil erosion, higher water tables, increased wildfire risk due to dry, dead trees, as well as a significant reduction in the forests ability to store carbon.

A pine beetle control crew is evacuated by helicopter ahead of northern-winter storm front. Once a storm hits, the density of the snow falling from the sky would make flying an impossibility for the pilot and any crews not picked up in time would be left in the wilderness until the weather improved. For workers in this environment, the potential for having to overnight in the wilderness during a storm is something that is always at the back of the mind every morning when they get flown into the area they will be working. On this occasion, the helicopter was unable to pick up two workers due to the rapid approach of the storm. They survived the night by building a shelter and a fire.

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Pine Beetle Control in Northern Alberta.

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