On Monday, August 8th, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park staff and contracted arborists began the removal of between 50 – 60 pine trees near the eastern boundary of the park.

This culling of dead trees is part of a comprehensive suppression effort to control the spread of the southern pine beetle, a destructive native species of burrowing bark beetles. The southern pine beetle attacks all species of pine trees and is considered one of the most destructive forest pests in the United States. Once infested, trees will die within two to four months. The removal of the dead trees reduces beetle habitat and increases the mortality of larvae and adults.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Superintendent, Patrick Gamman commented, “We were fortunate to discover this relatively limited area of infestation before it had the opportunity to become widespread. While we never like to remove trees from the park, this effort is necessary to ensure the health and longevity of the resource. We will continue to be vigilant for signs of further infestation throughout the park.”

The infested area is not near park trails or any portion of the park frequented by visitors. There are no anticipated impacts upon recreational opportunities or visitor safety during the removal process which is forecasted to last no longer than 30 days. Once the dead trees are removed, the impacted area will be replanted with hardwood tree species that are not vulnerable to subsequent infestation.

For more information, please contact us at (770) 427-4686, or visit us at www.nps.gov/kemo