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February 19, 2026

Contact: Chris Arend, Communications Director, Department of Natural Resources

303-264-8615

chris.arend@state.co.us

(Denver) — Today, Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources announced appointments to the Ponderosa Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force, a new multi-agency task force created by Governor Polis through Executive Action to address a significant and expanding mountain pine beetle outbreak impacting ponderosa pine forests along Colorado’s Front Range.

“Colorado is at the forefront of reducing the impact of wildfires, floods, and protecting Colorado communities. By assembling our team of forestry experts and state and local officials we are taking action to deal with the impact of mountain pine beetles and helping to protect our forest and key water sources, and equipping homeowners to better protect their homes,” said Governor Polis.

Aerial forest health surveys conducted in 2025 by the USDA Forest Service and Colorado State Forest Service show increasing mountain pine beetle activity in ponderosa pine forests up and down the Front Range, with beetle-killed trees already visible along the U.S. 285 and I-70 corridors. Warmer temperatures and ongoing drought have created favorable conditions for outbreaks of bark beetles — trends expected to continue into the next decade.

The task force is charged with developing coordinated, science-based strategies to protect Colorado communities, forests, water resources, infrastructure, and the state’s outdoor recreation economy over the next decade.

“Pitch tubes” of resin where pine beetles have tunneled (Dan West, CFFS)

“The State of Colorado, including the Department of Natural Resources, Colorado State Forest Service, and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, has heard the Governor’s clear call that the time is now to take action on our emerging mountain pine beetle outbreak along Colorado’s Front Range,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “We have assembled a diverse array of elected officials, federal, state, and local representatives, and ex officio member expertise for this Task Force to move together in a coordinated effort across land ownership and political boundaries to bring forth the necessary recommendations and actions for healthy forests and communities.”

Beetle-killed trees increase hazards for firefighters, recreationists, utility providers, and transportation corridors, and can alter and may even intensify wildfire behavior under certain conditions. These impacts from beetle-killed trees are particularly concerning in Front Range foothill communities where forests, homes, and critical infrastructure intersect, and wildfire risk is already high.

The task force will be co-chaired by Dan Gibbs; Mike Morgan, Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control; and Matt McCombs, State Forester and Director of the Colorado State Forest Service. The task force may add ex-officio members or seek input from subject matter experts where interested and as needed, within specific topics the task force seeks to evaluate.

Appointments to the Ponderosa Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force

Appointed by the Governor

• Senator Mark Baisley, Littleton — Representative of the Colorado General Assembly
• Representative Lesley Smith, Boulder — Representative of the Colorado General Assembly

Appointed by the Department of Natural Resources

• Troy Heithecker, Lakewood — Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service
• Douglas Vilsack, Lakewood — State Director, U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper, Golden — Jefferson County Commissioner; Colorado Fire Commission
• Madelene McDonald, Lakewood — Colorado Forest Health Council; Denver Water / Watershed Scientist
• Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, Loveland — Larimer County Commissioner
• Commissioner Dan Williams, Cripple Creek — Teller County Commissioner
• James Brad White, Granby — Fire Chief and District Administrator, Grand Fire Protection District
• Sebastian Walton, Denver — Xcel Energy — Representation of electric, water, and other utility providers servicing the Front Range
• William Lepry, Denver — Director, Colorado Mass Timber Coalition
• Megan Maxwell, Broomfield — Executive Director, Colorado Timber Industry Association
• Paige Lewis, Boulder — Deputy State Director/Director of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy Colorado
• Joseph Lavorini, Gunnison — Rocky Mountain Region Program Director, National Forest Foundation
• Thomas Gougeon, Denver — President, Gates Family Foundation
• Zach Thode, Livermore — Farmer and Rancher, Lehi Ranch
• Mike Alexander, Castle Rock — Director of Emergency Management, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Beetle-infested trees (William Ciesla, CSFS)

Ex-officio Members

Appointed by the Governor

• Ellen Bottcher of Washington, D.C., to serve as an ex officio member and representative of Colorado’s federal delegation for Representative Jeff Crank, appointed
• Abbie Callahan of Washington, D.C., to serve as an ex officio member and representative of Colorado’s federal delegation for Representative Joe Neguse, appointed
• Patrick Donovan of Denver, Colorado, to serve as an ex officio member and a representative of Colorado’s federal delegation for Senator Michael Bennet, appointed.
• Trina Griego of Lakewood, Colorado, to serve as an ex officio member and representative of Colorado’s federal delegation for Senator John Hickenlooper, appointed
• Maxwell Hanson of Cañon City, Colorado, to serve as an ex officio member and representative of Colorado’s federal delegation for Representative Brittney Petterson, appointed
• Representatives from all impacted federal delegation offices have been and remain invited to participate

Appointed by the Department of Natural Resources

• Jonathan Asher, Director, Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery, to serve as an ex-officio member
• John Barkowski, Forest and Montane Habitat Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to serve as an ex-officio member
• Chairman Melvin J. Baker, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, to serve as an ex officio member
• Dan Bean, Director of the Palisade Insectary, Colorado Department of Agriculture, to service as an ex-officio member
• Michael Conway, Commissioner of Insurance, to serve as an ex officio member
• John Kelly, Executive Director, Serve Colorado, to serve as an ex officio member
• Shayle Sabo, Resiliency Program Manager, Colorado Resiliency Office, Department of Local Affairs, to serve as an ex-officio member
• Chris Sturm, Watershed Program Director for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, to serve as an ex-officio member
• Mark Thompson, State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Office of Emergency Management, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, to serve as an ex officio member
• Dan West, Forest Entomologist, Colorado State Forest Service, to serve as an ex officio member
• Tim Wolfe, Director, Colorado Tourism Office, to serve as an ex officio member
• Brett Wolk, Associate Director, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, to serve as an ex officio member

The task force will coordinate across state, local, federal, private, and nonprofit partners to advance urgent and long-term strategies, including fuel mitigation, public education, watershed and utility protection, reforestation planning, wildfire response innovation, timber market development, insurance considerations, and identification of new funding strategies.

Colorado’s approach builds on lessons learned from past bark beetle outbreaks, as well as the state’s experience responding to catastrophic wildfires and investing in forest health, watershed protection, and community resilience.

Additional appointments will be forthcoming, and additional information about task force meetings, timelines, and opportunities for public engagement will be released in early 2026.

To learn more about the mountain pine beetle, visit the Colorado State Forest Service website. Jefferson County residents can also visit the county’s mountain pine beetle resource page. To learn more about the task force, visit the Colorado Department of Natural Resources’ Ponderosa Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force page.

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