One in 14 trees is dead in Colorado forests and the number of gray-brown standing-dead trees has increased 30 percent since 2010 to 834 million, the state’s annual survey has found.

The dying trees — largely the result of insect infestations — can lead to large intense wildfires, such as the Beaver Creek fire in 2016 that burned 38,000 acres northwest of Walden, Colorado State Forest Service officials said Tuesday as they unveiled the report.

They’re planning to warn state lawmakers that unhealthy forests and wildfires increasingly will affect people and water supplies. On Tuesday, they distributed copies of their Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests in the state capitol. A Joint Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing they hoped to attend was canceled.

“When so many trees die and large wildfires follow, our forests quickly turn from a carbon sink into a carbon source,” state forest service director Mike Lester said. “Beyond the implications for our atmosphere, forests in poor health have implications for our water supplies, public safety, wildlife and recreation opportunities.”

Yet trees also are regenerating in the forests, Lester said. “That’s our new forest. Now, I would much rather have a new forest without 800 million dead trees standing all over it.”

Among the key findings:

• Colorado’s mountain pine beetle epidemic killed trees across 3.4 million acres

• The continuing spruce beetle epidemic has killed trees across 1.7 million acres

• About 80 percent of Colorado residents rely on forest watersheds for their municipal water supplies

• Climate models projecting statewide average temperature increases by 2.5 to 6.5 degrees before 2050 mean the risks of severe wildfires, insect infestations and droughts will worsen

The increase in dead trees “is just another piece of evidence the climate is changing and that it is having dramatic impacts,” said Ted Zukoski, attorney for the environmental advocacy group Earthjustice. “We need to take strong action to address it.”

State forest officials say they will urge lawmakers to continue robust efforts to restore forest health. They advocate increased work to protect watersheds and manage the risk of catastrophic wildfires. They propose to plant more seedling trees as part of restoration projects. They also favor increased monitoring of forest health including insect detection and responses.

Colorado Forest Service officials work in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Denver Water, the Northern Water Conservancy District and Colorado Springs Utilities. They also work with communities statewide to develop wildfire protection plans.