Davis, Emily JaneAbrams, JesseHuber-Stearns, HeidiSteen-Adams, Michelle M.Moseley, Cassandra2019-09-162019-09-162019https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2481516 pagesElevated outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) have occurred across the western U.S. over the past two decades. Although mountain pine beetle (MPB) is a native insect that naturally infests various pine species, recent outbreaks have had significant impacts due to their intensity and extent. On national forestlands in several states, widespread tree mortality has affected forest health, tourism and recreation, the timber industry, public safety, and other values. MPB infestations also cross ownership boundaries, making them a complex management challenge for land managers. In responding to MPB impacts, the US Forest Service (USFS) must therefore consider effects and strategies across landscapes beyond national forests, as well as the social and political factors that may constrain or enable management options. There is an ongoing need to better understand how agency land managers and partners engage with MPB outbreaks as well as other acute forest health disturbances that can affect multiple values on public lands. Through a National Science Foundation- funded research project, we investigated MPB response through case studies on national forestlands in five states. Our primary goal was to examine socio-political strategies for addressing MPB impacts, including any formal or informal changes to forest governance and management practices that were implemented in these cases, and to identify variables that supported or inhibited effective responses. We provide an overview of each case study, then compare and discuss the strategies used.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USMountain pine beetlePublic lands--United States--ManagementForest managementWorking Paper