Shoshone National Forest personnel said they believe campgrounds will likely be open this summer, although some later than others because pine beetle-killed trees must be removed prior to opening.Recent budget updates show a significant improvement in the Shoshone National Forest's financing for the coming year, according to a news release.

What had once been projected as a $9.8 million budget for fiscal year 2010 is now at $11.2 million, said Shoshone spokeswoman Susan Douglas.

“While still not final, the numbers and direction we're seeing today get us much closer to normal operating costs,” said Becky Aus, Shoshone Forest supervisor. “We anticipate opening most, if not all, campgrounds.”

Last fall, in drafting preliminary budgets, the regional forest office in Denver had proposed shifting funds away from forests such as the Shoshone to focus on the forests most greatly impacted by beetle kill — those in northern Colorado and southeast Wyoming. Some 3.6 million acres in those areas are estimated to be infested with beetles — a number that grew by 524,000 acres in 2009, according to aerial survey results released by the Forest Service last week.

However, Shoshone officials said the proposed cuts would create gaps that might result in the closure of its campgrounds next summer, and other regional forests projected shortfalls as well.

After pressure from state and congressional representatives — including Wyoming's Congressional delegation — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Dec. 8 that the department was dedicating an additional $40 million to help the Rocky Mountain region combat beetle damage.

That helped the Shoshone budget receive the additional $1.4 million for its budget.

Like other forests, the Shoshone is also facing beetle infestation — current estimates say that 823,000 acres of the forest are affected, said the release. A primary concern with the affected trees is that they can topple, damaging infrastructure and potentially threatening human safety.

“We're aggressively dealing with the issue of removing dead or dying trees from our campgrounds,” said District Ranger Terry Root.

“Annual inspections and tree removal have been routine in the past, but the magnitude of the current bug epidemic has compounded the issue. The volume of work may delay the opening of some sites,” Root said.

The first step in addressing safety concerns is to assess hazard trees. This involves looking at and rating individual trees within the campgrounds. Dead and dying trees are then marked for removal, along with defective trees that are high risks for failure. Tree removal is being prioritized, based on past occupancy rates and access.

Twelve of the Shoshone's 32 campgrounds have been cleared, said the release.

“These are unprecedented circumstances and we appreciate the public's patience as we attempt to protect public and private infrastructure,” said Aus.

Crews are working hard to get the campgrounds ready, Douglas said.

“Some campgrounds might be open a little later than usual, but our goal is to open everything,” Douglas said, though she noted that two sites in the Beartooths — the Island Lake and Fox Creek campgrounds — have been slated to remain closed regardless because of ongoing construction.

The downed trees in the Shoshone will be made available to commercial and personal use firewood cutters, according to the release.

For more information, contact local ranger district offices in Cody at 307-527-6921 or the Dubois or Lander offices.