Tiny beetles are causing big problems for Ouray Ice Park.
Fir engraver beetles are destroying the white fir trees climbers use as anchors.
"As trees are dying, all of a sudden we have a serious loss of safe anchoring options for climbers within the park," said Mike Macleod, the president of the park’s board of directors.
Macleod said the park is installing alternative anchoring in areas of the park where trees were traditionally relied upon.
"Whether that means we’ll put expansion bolts into bedrock that climbers can use for climbing or in some cases we are pouring concrete pads and putting bolts there [so that] climbers can have safe, reliable anchors," he said.
With the help of a $20,000 state grant, the city of Ouray is thinning dead trees in the ice park and surrounding area.
The beetle epidemic is affecting the entire county.
