The State - News from July 7, 1986

State and federal forestry officials said more than 17,000 trees will have to be cut this year in the Lake Tahoe area to control an invasion of bark beetles. “The problem will increase over time,” said Jim Schellenger, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman. “It takes a lot of timber cutting to control it.” Schellenger and Nevada Division of Forestry entomologist Molly Sinnot said they are fighting a losing battle against the pesky bugs that are attacking large stands of trees in some of the most scenic areas of the Tahoe Basin, including Meeks Bay and Glenbrook. Tom Martens, director of the conservationist League to Save Lake Tahoe, agrees with state and federal officials that diseased trees must be cut to control the pest’s spread. “I say it’s not a natural problem at all and we need to do something about it,” he said.