Forest Management Challenges and Options in Boulder County
With the changing climate and a growing population in the mountain region, it has become imperative to take proactive measures to protect our communities and natural landscapes from the devastating effects of wildfires. One valuable resource that tells the current story of Boulder County wildfires is the Wildfires Story Map, a visual representation of wildfires in our region and their impacts.
In an effort to protect forests and communities, many agencies at all levels are working together with community members on landscape-scale forest management and restoration. For example:
“We have had over 30 stakeholder representatives come together to build a common vision for the future of the forested landscape in the St. Vrain. This is an incredible opportunity to build consensus and a plan for landscape scale forest restoration in advance of the USDA Forest Service’s formal NEPA process for the federal land portion of the St. Vrain Watershed. The partnership’s next phase includes building agreement on priority areas for treatments, planning for their restoration and how we will monitor and adjust our plans once the work on the ground gets underway.” – Jessie Olson, Executive Director of the Left Hand Watershed Center, who is leading the St. Vrain effort.
The town of Gold Hill and the Boulder Watershed Collective have taken proactive steps to mitigate wildfire risks and improve forest resiliency. Through their efforts, they are establishing a comprehensive management system that spans a significant area both to safeguard the town from potential wildfires and to contribute to the overall health and vitality of the surrounding forest.
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There is currently a surge of funding and energy focused on forest management throughout the United States, including Boulder County. This field class will give you valuable insights into the approaches and thinking guiding the management of our local forests; you will have the opportunity to learn about forest health and management in the St Malo area.
As the process progresses in the future, there will be opportunities to engage in decision-making and comment on agency plans.
A few of the many websites on forest management projects in Boulder County
These sites contain links to the many other agencies also working on wildfire and forest management in Boulder County. Each city in Boulder County has additional information on their website.
Wildfire Partners – provides mitigation information to protect homes from wildfire
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