Beetle Kill Pine
An epidemic has developed in recent years. It has spread across millions of acres in western North America, and it is deadly. Although it doesn’t infect people, it attacks some of the most majestic natural resources that people in the Rocky Mountains rely upon: Pine trees.
The culprits are tiny but devastating insects called mountain pine beetles. They work en masse to infest ponderosa and lodgepole pines, and carry a fungus with them as they burrow in the bark to reproduce. This fungus spreads and stains the sapwood a striking blue-gray color, cuts off the pines’ life-sustaining nutrients, and eventually kills the trees.
Resulting are vast enclaves of gray, needleless pines that litter the forested Rocky Mountain landscape. These dry trees are potential wildfire hazards in an already fire-prone region. And there’s little being done.
Enter the Azure Furniture Co.
We collaborate with local sawmills, the Colorado State University forestry department, and the U.S. Forest Service to efficiently transform otherwise unused beetle kill trees into elegant, high-quality furniture. The blue-gray color of the pine gives dramatic natural character to Azure Furniture Co. products without diminishing the strength or integrity of the wood. We are proud to have helped pioneer this beautiful method of recycling beetle kill pine in the Colorado area.
