This Edition Includes
- Sort Yards Operating Schedule
- Drought Update
- Signs and Symptoms of Mountain Pine Beetle
- Nederland Area Forest Fuels Reduction Project Community Meeting
- Boulder County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
- Wildfire Action Plan
- Wildfire Partners
- BOCO Emergency Alert System
- Additional Resources
Sort Yards Operating Schedule
Nederland CFSY
291 Ridge Road, Nederland
Phone: 303-258-3622
Operating Schedule: Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closing Day: Saturday, November 15
Meeker Park CFSY
8200 Hwy 7, Allenspark
Phone: 970-586-3259
Operating Schedule: Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closing Day: Saturday, November 1
Additional closures may occur depending upon weather, staffing, and administrative requirements.
Complete details of accepted items can be found at boco.org/sortyards.
Drought Update
 Last year's drought map, July 2, 2024, compared to this year's drought map, July 1, 2025.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Signs and Symptoms of Mountain Pine Beetle
Over the last couple of years there has been an increase of trees infested with mountain pine beetle (MPB). Although the numbers are not at pandemic levels, homeowners should be keeping an eye out for their presence in trees.
Colorado State Forest Service
US Forest Service 2023 aerial survey of MPB
Colorado State Forest Service 2024 aerial survey of MPB
One sign that the MPB are in a ponderosa, lodgepole, or limber pine tree is the needles fading to a yellow-green and then red-brown color. This means that the tree is dying. You may see cream-colored popcorn shaped pitch tubes. The tree tries to defend itself by pushing the beetles out of the bark with the pitch. Sometimes it is successful, and you can see beetles in the pitch tubes. The pitch tubes usually develop in the lower 15 feet of the trunk of the tree and it does not always mean that the tree will die.
Pitch tube with MPB in it. Source: Colorado State Forest Service
Another sign that the MPB have inhabited a tree is the presence of reddish powdery boring dust called frass. It will be caught in the bark plates or adjacent to the base of the tree.
Frass on pine bark. Source: Idaho Department of Lands
Woodpeckers like to eat bark beetles, so you might also see larger holes created by them.
Holes in the pine bark from woodpeckers. Source: Jefferson County
Another sign of a MPB attack is a blue stain in the wood caused by a fungus the beetles carry into the tree's sapwood. This stain can be seen when the wood is cut, or the bark is peeled away. Vertical, frass packed egg galleries with a crook at the end just under the bark is another sign. However, you should only check for these signs if you know the tree is dead, since exposing them can harm a living tree.
Pine sapwood with blue stain fungus. Source: Idaho Department of Lands
MPB egg gallery. Source: Colorado State University Extension
MPB emerge from trees starting in early to mid July. This means that wood with MPB should not be transported after July 15 to prevent the spread of flying adult beetles.
Sources:
Nederland Area Forest Fuels Reduction Project Community Meetings
Learn more about the Middle Boulder Creek Fuels Reduction Partnership Project by attending a community meeting.
The meeting will be held at the Nederland Community Center on Thursday, July 31, from 6-7:30 p.m.
Boulder County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Check out the 2024 Boulder County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. After many collaborative meetings with the community, state and federal forest service, local fire protection agencies, land management agencies, local governments, and Boulder County; the newest version of the plan is complete. The story map includes such topics as mitigation strategies, fire response, wildfire risk assessment, maps, and resources.
Wildfire Action Plan
Are you ready when a wildfire occurs? The following link is a guide to create your own wildland fire action plan.
Wildfire Partners
 |
|
COMMUNITY CHIPPING PROGRAM
Are you and several neighbors doing wildfire mitigation work? Wildfire Partners offers free community chipping for a group of 5 or more neighbors. Each property involved will pile slash 2-5 feet from a public road to be picked up by an approved contractor. Learn more about the Wildfire Partners Community Chipping Program.
FREE ASSESSMENTS
Could your home survive wildfire? Don’t miss out! Wildfire Partners is offering free assessments through a special grant with the Colorado State Forest Service. Apply today and find out what actions you can take to protect your home.
Wildfire Partners Program
303-441-1420
info@wildfirepartners.org
wildfirepartners.org
|
BOCO Emergency Alert System
Sign up to receive emergency alerts through Everbridge.
You can also text BOCOinfo to 888777 to receive push notification texts.
Additional Resources
Thank you for reading.
April Temple
Community Forestry Sort Yard Technician
|
