Today’s Boulder County Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation and News covers the following:
- Tip of the Day: Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes is Saturday, October 10
- October Wildfire Awareness Month Events
- Our New Forest Health Team and Wildfire Mitigation Team
- Community Forestry Sort Yards Final Days of 2015
Tip of the Day: Attend our First Inaugural Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes – October 10
Are you interested in wildfire mitigation, but you have questions or concerns? How will it look? Will I have to cut all my trees? What inexpensive retrofits are available to help protect my structures? Or, are you a mitigation supporter and want to check out the latest innovations in the field?
Come visit Wildfire Partners properties in your community. Check out practical wildfire mitigation measures for yourself. Talk to your neighbors about the lessons they learned and solutions they developed. Visiting these homes and talking to neighbors is an ideal way for you to learn about mitigation.
Approximately 700 Boulder County homeowners have been working extremely hard to help prepare for future wildfire and create more resilient communities as part of the new Wildfire Partners program. On Saturday, October 10, sixteen Wildfire Partners will be inviting you to come see mitigation work as part of the inaugural Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes. These homeowners have participated in an on-site wildfire assessment with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist and performed some mitigation measures. Many have completed their customized Mitigation To-Do List, passed their follow-up inspection, and received their Wildfire Partners Certificate of Mitigation.
Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes
When: Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Boulder County foothills and mountains. Participating homes are listed at www.WildfirePartners.org. Look for Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes yard signs.
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Wildfire Partners Tour of Homes signs will be posted on homeowner driveways to help guide tour participants.
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Wildfire Partners is a voluntary program that provides homeowners who are interested in performing mitigation with significant technical and financial support. The program is funded by participating homeowners, Boulder County, a $1.5 million grant the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and a $1.125 million grant from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
October Wildfire Awareness Month
On September 6, 2011, the one-year anniversary of the Fourmile Canyon Fire, Boulder County declared October as Wildfire Awareness Month. The idea for the month-long awareness campaign came from citizens of Boulder County who understood the need for more education, stronger community involvement, and greater individual responsibility toward community wildfire protection. Clear Creek, Douglas, Jefferson, and Larimer counties have also declared October as Wildfire Awareness Month. To learn more, visit www.BoulderCountyWildfireAware.org.
Community Chipping Events
Coal Creek Canyon
Saturday, Oct. 3 – Curbside Chipping Event, Twin Spruce Area
Saturday, Oct. 10 – Curbside Chipping Event, Spruce Canyon Drive Neighborhood
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Saws and Slaws Event, Chute Road
Email Linda at weecreekers@gmail.com to participate
Four Mile Fire Protection District
Oct. 5 – Oct. 9
Open to residents of Four Mile FPD
Email Zach at zachsflittlefield@yahoo.com to participate
Sunshine Fire Protection District
Oct. 26 – Oct. 30
Free Curbside Chipping up to 1.5 hours
Open to residents of Sunshine FPD
Deadline to sign up is October 21. Email Abby at abberoo@msn.com
Sugarloaf Fire Protection District
Oct. 15
Discounted Curbside Chipping
Open to residents of Sugarloaf FPD
Contact CB Bassity at 720 406 7835 or Marilyn Hartig at 303 444 1868.
Eldorado Springs, Eldorado Valley and Marshall Area Slash Chipping Event
Saturday Oct. 17, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Centralized Slash Chipping Event – You Haul It
Open to residents of Rocky Mountain Fire Protection District
Fire Station 6, 4390 Eldorado Springs Drive
Contact: Email qmacleod@rockymountainfire.org
Boulder County Prescribed Fire
Boulder County Parks & Open Space and Boulder County Sheriff's Office Wildland Fire Management Program are planning two prescribed burns at Heil Valley Ranch and Hall Ranch this fall.
Nighthawk Burn at Hall Ranch
• Will occur between October 12 and 16
• 75 acres with one to three days of ignitions
Wapiti 2 Burn at Heil Valley Ranch
• Will occur between October 26 and 31
• 270 acres and may require up to six days of ignitions
These prescribed burns are dependent on weather and conditions. View maps of the planned prescribed burns and more information at http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/openspace/pages/burns.aspx
Parks and Open Space 40th Anniversary Wildfire Awareness Month Forestry Projects
To register for one or both projects, please visit: www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org/wildwork.
October 9 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Heil Valley Ranch
Please join us to help prepare for our next round of prescribed fire at Heil Valley Ranch. Volunteer will focus on raking forest debris away from old growth ponderosa pines and dragging woody debris away from the fire line.
October 17 – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Meeker Park Community Forestry Sort Yard
Parks and Open Space is currently working on a demonstration defensible space project at our Meeker Park Sort Yard. Volunteers are needed to help work in zones 1 and 2. This is a great opportunity to learn about defensible space, wildland fire, and small acreage forestry. Work will include dragging slash, raking forest debris, and perhaps cutting a small tree or two.
October 24 – 10 a.m. to noon
Hike: Lions and Abert’s and Bears at Bald Mountain Scenic Area
Join volunteer naturalists for a moderate one-mile hike to learn about some of the critters that call Bald Mountain home, including a handsome squirrel that lives only in ponderosa pine forests. Also see evidence of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire and learn a little about the natural role of fire in this ecosystem.
New Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation Team
Boulder County’s Land Use Department would like to introduce two new members of our team: Chris Rea and Kyle McCatty.
Chris Reacomes to us from Buffalo, Wyoming where he was the Assistant District Forester with the Wyoming State Forestry Division. He has also worked for the North Carolina Forest Service, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, and US Forest Service in various roles. Chris has a BS in forest management from Colorado State University and a MS in Natural Resource Management and GIS from the University of Denver. He hails from Pueblo, Colorado.
Kyle McCatty comes from the Golden Office of the Colorado State Forest Service where he worked as a Forester II. He has also worked for the Arizona State Forestry Division, the Colorado State Forest Service in Fort Collins, Colorado State University, and the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands in a number of different positions. Kyle has a BS in forest management from CSU. He also attended the University of Florida before coming to Colorado. Chris and Kyle have replaced Ryan Ludlow and Andrew Notbohm.
Chris and Kyle join existing staff members Rick Hackett and Jim Webster. Rick is our Communications Specialist. He oversees our Wildfire Partners marketing, website, media relations, community outreach, and Boulder County Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation and News distribution. Jim coordinates the Wildfire Partners program and manages the forest health and wildfire mitigation and team.
Community Forestry Sort Yards Closing
Got Slash? The Nederland and Allenspark sort yards both close for the season on Saturday, October 17th. This year marks the eighth consecutive year that Boulder County has offered free slash and log disposal. Thanks to everyone who uses, volunteers, and works at the yards!
Allenspark/Meeker Park Area Sort Yard - 8200 Hwy. 7, Allenspark
Closes: Oct. 17
Hours of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nederland Area Sort Yard - 291 Ridge Road, Nederland
Closes: Oct. 17
Hours of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sort yards are free of charge locations where residents can drop off logs, tree branches, pine needles, cut grass and noxious weeds. Residents load the material into a vehicle or trailer, haul it to Nederland or Allenspark, and unload it at the yard at no charge.
Cheers,
Rick, Kyle, Chris and Jim
Boulder County Land Use Department
303-441-3930
WildfireMitigation@bouldercounty.org
