Minister wants another $50M to fight pine beetle

The politician overseeing Alberta's war on the mountain pine beetle says he is asking for another $50 million this year to fight the forest-destroying pest.

"Contrary to a lot of our critics, we're making progress on that front," Ted Morton, sustainable resource development minister, said today at a forestry forum at the University of Alberta.

"We're making progress because of the large amounts of money - over $50 million last year. I've already made a request for another $50 million this year as an emergency draw on the Sustainability Fund."