A catastrophic mountain pine beetle infestation (MPB) in British Columbia is now a serious threat to lodgepole pine forests in Alberta, a resource valued at 23 billion dollars. Latest aerial surveys in BC show that the infestation has spread well into the Peace River region. Ground surveys in the adjacent Smoky Forest region in Alberta have now identified more than 2.5 million infested trees up from less than 300 in 2006. Hybrid pines in the northern boreal forest are being attacked. Successful large-scale attack of jack pine forest will have serious economic social and environmental implications for both Alberta and Canada.
In January 2007, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology commissioned Forintek Canada Corp, the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC), the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (Paprican) and the Alberta Research Council (ARC) to provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of existing research on mountain pine beetle (western Canada and the US) with a focus on the forest value chain including: detection, control, management, regeneration, harvesting and transportation, fibre quality and processing of mountain pine beetle -attacked timber; and of existing research on market protection, product and market potential for post-MPB wood products, pulp and paper products, bioenery, biofuel, and biochemicals; and of the socio-economic issues of industry competitiveness and sustainability. The review was to include expert assessments of available research and identify gaps in the state-of-knowledge along the forest value chain with a focus on issues relevant to the optimum utilization (volume and value) associated with a possible MPB epidemic in Alberta.