Colorado forest reference
Colorado mountain pine beetle statistics
A current, source-led snapshot of the beetle outbreak, the forests it touches, and the scale behind the blue-stained pine story.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Statistics below are reported by the Colorado State Forest Service and linked to their original publications.
At a glance
Ten citable facts about Colorado’s mountain pine beetle.
3.4 million
Colorado forest acres affected in the last major outbreak
The late-1990s through 2013 mountain pine beetle epidemic affected 3.4 million acres of Colorado forests.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report80–90%
Tree mortality in some lodgepole pine forests
In parts of Summit, Grand, Eagle, and Routt counties, the earlier epidemic killed up to 80–90% of trees in lodgepole pine forests.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report5,544 acres
Front Range acreage affected in 2025
Across nine surveyed Front Range counties, affected acreage rose from 2,236 acres in 2024 to 5,544 acres in 2025.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report148%
One-year increase in surveyed Front Range impact
That 2024-to-2025 change equals a 148% increase, or 2.48 times the area observed the year before.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report637,751 acres
Ponderosa pine-dominant forest in the nine-county study area
Colorado State Forest Service estimates the affected Front Range study area contains roughly 637,751 acres of forest dominated by ponderosa pine.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report54%
Trees per acre in susceptible diameter classes
In the nine-county study area, 54% of trees per acre were medium, large, or very large, the classes mountain pine beetles typically attack.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report1,190 acres
Estimated Front Range area currently affected after severity adjustment
The 5,544 mapped acres in the nine-county Front Range survey correspond to an estimated 1,190 currently affected acres after the survey’s severity ratings are applied.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, Front Range Mountain Pine Beetle Outlook, May 202693%
Ponderosa pine basal area in the more susceptible tree sizes
Medium, large, and very large trees made up 93% of total ponderosa pine basal area in the nine-county study area, alongside the 54% figure for trees per acre.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, Front Range Mountain Pine Beetle Outlook, May 2026About 80%
Colorado pine forests affected from 1996–2014
Colorado State Forest Service describes the prior mountain pine beetle outbreak as affecting about 80% of Colorado pine forests during 1996–2014.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, agency profile29.6 million acres
Colorado forest acres covered by the 2024 aerial survey
Colorado State Forest Service and U.S. Forest Service observers flew 29.6 million acres of forest to document insect and disease impacts in 2024.
Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2024 Forest Health ReportReading the data
What these numbers do, and do not, say.
Mountain pine beetles are native to Colorado. Their impact changes with forest conditions, weather, and the size and mix of trees in a stand. The figures on this page describe surveyed impact and documented forest conditions, not a forecast for every Colorado forest.
For the material story, the important distinction is simple: blue stain is part of a tree’s history, not a decorative finish added later. Blue Stained Roots works with salvaged Colorado pine, then gives select lumber the time and craft needed to become furniture with a genuine sense of place.
Explore beetle-kill pine furniture →Sources and methodology
Built for clear citation.
This page uses publicly available, primary reporting from the Colorado State Forest Service. Each statistic links to the specific source used. The service’s forest-health reporting draws on annual aerial detection surveys and on-the-ground confirmation, so figures should be read as reported survey results for their stated year and area.
- Colorado State Forest Service, 2025 Forest Health Report: Mountain Pine Beetle
- Colorado State Forest Service, Agency Profile
- Colorado State Forest Service, 2024 Forest Health Report: Insects and Diseases
- Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Front Range Mountain Pine Beetle Outlook, May 2026
Cite this page
Blue Stained Roots. “Colorado Mountain Pine Beetle Statistics.” Updated October 26, 2026. https://bluestainedroots.com/colorado-mountain-pine-beetle-statistics