While scientists agonize over the recent pine beetle epidemic that has destroyed huge stands of lodge pole pines throughout Colorado, Metro State student David Rusch is helping assess the ongoing problem by researching the extent of the beetle kill in Summit County ski areas using satellite images.

Rusch’s research recently garnered him a grant of $12,000 from the GeoEye Foundation, one of 40 grants the foundation awarded across the country.

Working for GeoEye, a satellite imaging company that takes detailed pictures of the world, Rusch has been researching the pine beetle problem for his Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course. The images he’s studying will help scientists who are not able to detect the beetle kill due to a high density of trees, he explains. By having these pictures, scientists will be able to pinpoint the exact locations of the infected trees.

You don’t need a satellite to see the devastation; just drive west on I-70 and it’s painfully obvious. It has already been announced that many of Colorado’s campsites will not open for the summer because of the problem.

There are theories about what has caused the pine beetle infestation, but a definitive reason is unknown. Stella Todd, Rusch’s GIS professor and mentor, believes that many things could have caused the infestation.

“There are too many theories,” Todd says. “Many of our forests have factors that favor the spread of the pine beetle: presence of older or weaker trees, high tree density (and) mild winters.”

Rusch’s research was focused on four ski resorts in Colorado: Telluride, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park and Copper Mountain. However, because of the large amount of beetle kill in those areas, he has shifted his studies to Copper Mountain, where the infestation isn’t as prevalent.

Rusch thanks his professors in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department for all the help they have given him, especially Todd, because she makes every effort to have her students achieve their goals, he says.

“At Metro, I think the faculty is top-notch and we rely on their instruction to help us succeed,” he adds. “Metro’s program is a good as any.”

Editor’s Note: Rusch was featured recently on CBS4. You can watch the clip by going to http://cbs4denver.com/video and searching for “Space Imaging Helps Fight Pine Beetles.”