Senator sponsors bill to attack pine beetles

DENVER -- The insect infestation that has killed millions of pine trees is one of the West's "biggest natural disasters," says U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, sponsor of a bill to give forest managers more ways to respond to the outbreak.

   The Colorado Democrat said Monday that the bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, would allow the U.S. Forest Service to identify high-priority areas and expedite analysis of proposed treatments.