The Forest Service and UW Ruckelshaus Institute offers Open Houses in Laramie, Saratoga, and Steamboat Springs, Colo. for the public to learn more on forest recovery.

According to a UW release, the Open Houses will highlight the ecological dynamics as local forests respond and move past the bark beetle epidemic. The release goes onto encourage the public to attend any of the three meetings offered this month by the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests (MBR) and the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute. The University says the forest managers and their UW Co-Workers will provide more in-depth information on the past, present, and future developments on the forests.

The UW release says all the meetings will have informal  presentations by UW researchers and the U.S. Forest Service managers who will fully describe what the bark beetle epidemic is and how it has changed the forests. UW says all meetings will be followed by the opportunity for the public to meet the MBR managers to learn more and get more clarity on the bark beetle outbreak and how it's affecting the forests.

“These meetings are meant to share the story of our recovering forests, allow the public to ask questions and provide an opportunity to meet forest managers in person,” says Emilene Ostlind, Ruckelshaus Institute communications coordinator.

The University says the schedule will have the first meeting on May 23rd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center auditorium on the UW campus. The second meeting will be at the Bud Werner Library Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on May 28th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The third and last opportunity will be at the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga on May 30th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information on these meetings you can visit UW's website or call the Ruckelshaus Institute at (307) 766-5080.

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