Mountain pine beetle population 'in steep decline'; INSECT PEST

Mountain pine beetle populations in Al-berta have declined 98 per cent since their peak in 2019, the provincial gov-ernment said this past week. The Government of Alberta describes the mountain pine beetle as the most destructive pine insect pest in the province. Cold winters, paired with the province's aggressive control program, have led to striking process in preserving the health and resilience of Alberta's forest, the government said in a media release on Dec...