FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  March 19, 2012  Contact: Dan Rowland, 303-441-3399

Set up for land rehabilitation operations in Fourmile Canyon Fire area begins

Boulder County, Colo. – Preparations for land rehabilitation treatments to about 350 severely burned acres in the Fourmile Canyon Fire area will begin today, with operations set to begin April 10 to mitigate high erosion potential and possible damage to communities and roads downstream.

Last year, nearly 2,000 acres were treated with aerial mulching as part of Boulder County’s emergency stabilization efforts. Most areas are recovering, but land in and around Ingram Gulch (between Salina and Sunshine), and  other small areas between Melvina Hill and Hoosier Hill, and near Fourmile Canyon Creek are not recovering adequately on their own and need immediate retreatment.

Staging and mulch deliveries

Staging for aerial seeding and mulching applications began today with straw deliveries beginning Tuesday, March 20. Two semi-load trailers of straw will be delivered via Sunshine Canyon Drive from Tuesday through Saturday this week.

Wood shreds will be delivered via semi-trucks on Gold Hill Road/Sunshine Canyon Drive for three weeks beginning March 23. Wood shreds are locally produced mulch from shredded trees that have been cut for fuels treatment projects on U.S. Forest Service land in Boulder County.

Aerial operations

One helicopter will be used for aerial seeding and mulching applications beginning April 10 and lasting for about two weeks, including weekends. Flying will commence as early as 6:30 a.m. and will continue only during daylight hours and as weather permits. Windy weather common in the afternoons will ground the helicopter, so operations will start at sunrise, as permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration. All dates are tentative and may change due to weather or other circumstances.

Safety issues

Due to safety regulations and FAA requirements, no one can be in the immediate areas where mulch is being dropped.

Boulder County Sheriff’s patrols will be active in the area to maintain public safety for the duration of the treatments. The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone of the following rules:

• Motorists must not block traffic on any public right of way.
• Members of the public must stay at least 200 feet outside of the perimeter of active aerial mulching treatment areas at all times so as not to impede operations.
• No trespassing is allowed on private property including driveways, turn-offs, private roads or other private property.
• Cyclists are asked to avoid Fourmile Canyon Drive and Sunshine Canyon Drive while helicopter flights are occurring.

Information resources

For additional information and maps showing the treatment areas go to: www.bouldercounty.org/fourmilefire. Enter an address to see if a property is in the mulching area. All home and landowners who are directly affected have already been contacted.

Boulder County Parks and Open Space will be overseeing the aerial seeding and mulching operation. Contact Claire DeLeo at 303-678-6205 orcdeleo@nullbouldercounty.org for more information.

-BoulderCounty.org-