Spruce beetle outbreak 2015 -2021

A spruce beetle outbreak was declared in the Omineca region in late 2015; mortality peaked in 2017 before declining regionally and provincially by 2021. This page outlines management actions and priorities undertaken during this outbreak, including forest licensee action plans and monitoring reports.

The spruce beetle is native to British Columbia and is regularly seen in forested areas, however, higher-than-normal populations have been recently found in the Omineca region. Spruce beetle the most damaging bark beetle attacking spruce in B.C. 

On this page

• Guidance around the spruce beetle outbreak
• Forest Licensee action plans
• Monitoring Reports

Guidance around the spruce beetle outbreak

The provincial government is closely monitoring the situation to minimize any impacts on timber supply and forest ecosystems. B.C. is working with forest licensees, forest communities, and first nations to determine ways to mitigate the current outbreak. Although this outbreak is a concern, the situation is not comparable to the spread of the mountain pine beetle in recent decades.

Guidance documents for Spruce Beetle include:

• Chief Forester's Expectations for Prioritization in Response to Spruce Beetle Outbreaks Updated November, 2020 (PDF, 356KB)
• Chief Forester's Expectations for Stand and Landscape-Level Retention for Harvesting in Response to Spruce Beetle Outbreaks - Sept. 9, 2017 (PDF, 1.7MB)
• Hauling and Storage Management Plan (PDF, 127KB)
• Beneficial Management Practices (PDF, 246KB)
• Conventional Trap Trees (PDF, 334KB)
• Guidelines for using Lindgren Funnel Traps (PDF, 514KB)

Forest licensee action plans

Forest licensee action plans are collaborative multi-licensee harvesting plans designed to prioritize harvesting within spruce beetle-impacted stands.

2021

• 2021 Omineca Spruce Beetle Action Plan (PDF, 3.8MB)
• 2021 Prince George Spruce Beetle Action Plan Map (PDF, 28MB)
• 2021 Mackenzie Spruce Beetle Action Plan Map (PDF, 19MB)
• Regional Executive Director Response Letter (PDF, 3.8MB)

2020

• 2020 Omineca Spruce Beetle Action Plan (PDF, 1.9MB)
• 2020 Prince George Spruce Beetle Action Plan Map (PDF, 29MB)
• 2020 Mackenzie Spruce Beetle Action Plan Map (PDF, 13.5MB)
• Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy FRPA Authorities

Monitoring Reports

The provincial government used licensee-submitted timber cruise (timber valuation) data to summarize harvesting activities for spruce beetle infested trees.

• Omineca Spruce Beetle Harvest Summary 2012-2020 (PDF, 2MB)

Further reading

Learn more about the spruce beetle and how it impacts spruce stands in B.C.