Various pine beetles are attacking pines all over North America with an extraordinary vengeance. In Yellowstone the high valued whitebark pine, which grows, and grows but slowly, at high elevations continues under attack.
This pine is especially valuable to grizzly bears who eat its fat rich nuts in the fall to fatten up. In years when the nut crop is plentiful, there are usually far fewer grizzly incidents because the bears are at high altitude, generally on public lands and away from the large majority of people.
Beetle unleashes voracious appetite. By Mike Stark. Billings Gazette.
