Alberta said Tuesday that its annual aerial survey of pine
beetle-infested forest shows the number of trees killed by the
invasive insect fell by half compared with last year. "I don't
think we'd claim total victory, but we are clearly having an
impact," said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Frank
Oberle. "We have about 50 per cent fewer red trees this year
than last year." Pines killed by the beetle turn red about one
year after they die. "They've made considerable efforts," said
Allan Carroll, a professor in the department of forest sciences
at the University of British Columbia. "They've been very, very
rigorous in their approach, and I think they certainly have
achieved a positive result.