Will Summit County property values be affected by the Pine Beetle epidemic?

The Pine Beetle has devastated our forests in Summit County and many Silverthorne, Frisco and Breckenridge homes have felt the effects as one after another, trees have died.  I have experienced it first hand, as my home in Mesa Cortina, which backs to Forest Service land, has been in the thick of it.  The beetle hit Grand County first and have been moving south.  Currently, most of the lodgepole pines in the forest around the Silverthorne area  are brown, and more will turn brown next year as the beetle infest new trees when they fly in July.  Our neighborhood has been diligent about spraying and taking out infected trees, but it is almost useless as there are so many beetle.  The best we can do is cut down dead trees to reduce the fire danger.

Frisco is being hit as the beetle are moving further south, and Breckenridge is also beginning to see brown trees. Many of the people searching for Summit County real estate want cabins in the woods and don't want to feel that they are in the suburbs.  For that reason, although we have few "cabins", wooded area are very popular with buyers, and homes that are adjacent to Forest Service land sell for a premium.

Most of us who live here realize that mother nature will have her way, and when the trees are dead and removed, the aspen, spruce and young pines that are in the understory will get more light, grow faster, and fill in fairly quickly.  Our views will improve and the autumn will be even more beautiful as the aspen leaves turn.  You can see in this photo to the left that there are plenty of aspen that are still green, and they will flourish without the pines competing for water and light.   Our fire danger should decrease and overall, it won't be such a bad thing.  It will be painful while it happens, as the trees are unsightly until their brown needles fall off  and  removing trees can be expensive.  Spraying the trees during the summer is the only way to protect them and even then it is not a guarantee. 

So far, I have noticed no decrease in property values due to the pine beetle.  In fact, the average price of homes has increased more than 16% over last year and there are 25% fewer homes and condos on the market.  Buyers are asking Sellers to identify and remove all beetle trees before the closing occurs.  They know there is a chance that more trees could be infected the next year but are willing to accept the risk as part of living in the woods. Every part of the county has good views, and people will appreciate being able to see them from their homes, even though they mourn the loss of some trees.  In the past it has been hard to have both trees and views, but now it may be possible!  These photos were both taken in the Forest lands behind my home.  The Forest Servide will shortly be taking the dead trees out as part of a wildfire mitigation plan.