Social Distortion
Mountain Pine Beetle a Societal Problem?
Not for this Community.
By Emily Krall
The Routt National Forest is an integral part of the society of Steamboat Springs. Not only is it the familiar backdrop to the community, but also a source of economic wealth, nourishment, recreation, and beauty. As the forest begins another part of its life-cycle (die-off of pine trees caused by the mountain pine beetle epidemic), how might the lives of people in the community change in tandem with the environment?
As part of my undergraduate thesis, I have been conducting research on the social effects of the mountain pine beetle epidemic in Steamboat Springs. I had read about many of the ecological effects that the community members of Steamboat Springs might expect from the beetle outbreak, but I was curious about how people's lives might be impacted as the forest changes. I wanted to explore how the death of Routt Forest could change the way we experience nature in Steamboat Springs.
A community is dynamic—there are many different kinds of people doing a variety of work. The community works together to create an atmosphere that supports the various values and ideals they consider important. Steamboat Springs is a unique place because there is a high level of social, cultural, and natural capital.
Social capital is the connections you make with your neighbors that enhance your non-monetary personal wealth. For example, you might get free piano lessons from your neighbor so long as you supply her with fresh eggs once in awhile. Cultural capital includes the ranching lifestyle in Steamboat Springs—the traditional identity that a community values as its own. Natural capital also abounds in Steamboat Springs as the Routt Forest provides not only an economic benefit to the community but also a place for recreation and personal enjoyment.
Many different types of capital interact within a community to provide a variety of functions for its members. Managing all the forms of capital in a community is a delicate balance—if one form of capital is ignored or neglected, it could ripple out to affect other forms of capital as well. As Steamboat Springs begins to lose some of its natural capital, we must be wary about how it impacts other parts of community life. Although the epidemic will affect individual people differently, as a community we continue to strive towards common goals.
Using qualitative interviews from people living in the Steamboat Springs community, I explored how the loss of the forest is affecting people differently. More specifically, I explored whether peoples' connection to the local environment has been affected by the death of Routt Forest. I focused on three aspects of Steamboat Springs' life: the tourism sector, the ranching community, and the average resident. These three sectors of community life give a sample of how different forms of capital are interacting in the community and how these interactions might change with the partial death of Routt Forest.
My results were extremely promising. I found that while people are saddened and distraught by the loss of the forest, they are optimistic about its renewal. I failed to observe any negative sentiments of hopelessness or abandonment in the community due to the outbreak. In fact, most participants were hopeful for the future and the opportunities the epidemic might bring to the Yampa Valley. Participants expressed faith in their community to combat future challenges and placed trust in their neighbors to make good decisions.
Most community members are not well educated on the epidemic unless their work requires them to be informed. This is not due to the lack of accessible information on the epidemic, but rather because people do not feel that the epidemic will impact their lives very much. While they understand the forest is changing, they do not feel that their involvement with the forest will change. Most participants express an imperative need to interact with the local environment and feel that nothing can change that-not even the death of the forest.
Throughout the American West, communities are coping with the devastation of their natural resources. The biggest challenge facing these towns is the ability of communities to collaborate on decision-making, mostly because the communities are diverse and have different agendas. For example, the agricultural sector may have different values than the environmentalists or the local government. I observed a unique sense of community in the people of Steamboat Springs. As one participant explained, “The people I know in this community are up for a challenge, to work as a community and to come up with good solutions.” Instead of dividing across differences, the community of Steamboat Springs has recognized similarities and chosen to work together. I am proud to be a part of this community and excited to see the achievements and progress that is to come. 
Works Cited
Flora, Camelia and Flora, Jan. 2004. Rural Communities. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
Shumaker, Sally A. and Janet R. Hankin. 1984. "Introduction: The Bonds Between People and Their Residential Environments: Theory and Research." Population and Environment 7(2):59-59 Available: CSA
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