Utah
Invasive insect species spreading through Utah, threatening forests
SALT LAKE CITY — An invasive species of insect that has been spreading here in Utah over the past few years is threatening many of the state’s forests.
It’s called the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, or BWA. It sucks the sap out of subalpine fir trees, simultaneously poisoning them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the invasive insect entered the United States from Europe in the early 20th century. They’ve been populating in Utah since 2017.
“It is a sap-sucking insect. It finds a feeding location on a tree and pretty much sets up shop there for the rest of its life and feeds on tree sap,” said Mickey Campbell, with the University of Utah’s Department of Geography.
Campbell and his team have been mapping the progression of the infestation. They believe climate change could make it even worse.
“Generally warmer areas are those that are seeing the highest severity of BWA damage, so naturally in a warming climate, BWA insects could and indeed are likely to extend in our region,” he said.
Campbell said there’s not much they can do to exterminate them. However there are other things, namely forest management practices, to prevent its spread.
“It’s not so much about proactively trying to remove the insects so much as it is proactively trying to promote forest management practices that may mitigate the long term damage.”
Campbell said forest management primarily involves cleaning up the dead trees and planting other tree species.
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Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant said the early 2026 survey found men are suffering with significant mental and behavioral health challenges between the ages of 10 and 44. In the U.S., Bondurant said, suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury.
“It’s the eighth leading cause of death nationally across all ages of men,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 8. “When we look at this in Utah, we are two times the national average in suicides, and when you look at men, three of the four suicides in the state of Utah are men.”
He said that’s disproportionate to women. Roughly 31 out of 100,000 suicide deaths in Utah are men while less than 9 deaths per 100,000 are women.
FULL INTERIVEW: Summit County Health Department Phil Bondurant
Bondurant said those statistics are related to men feeling isolated, experiencing depression and uncertainty about the future. But, he said the health department has worked to develop programs to break the stigma around men’s mental health and help people access care.
“It’s important that we remember that connection, conversation, help and support, just like our physical health, when we’re not feeling well or we break a bone, we go to the doctor, and they do what they do to help us get better and help our bodies mend,” he said. “Our mental health is the same way, we need to take care of it.”
He said uninsured residents that need help can call the health department and speak with the behavioral health team.
There is also a 24-hour 988 crisis hotline for people who need help or know someone who needs help. Utahns can also download the SafeUT app to speak with licensed counselors, submit safety tips and confidential help.
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