Today’s forest health outreach update covers the following topics:
* Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: How to Correctly Prune a Tree
* Training Announcement: Chainsaw Safety and Skills Training Class

* News: Nederland Area Sort Yard to Reopen this Saturday Aug. 4

Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: How to Correctly Prune a Tree
Forestry Tip of the Day: Did you know that you can cause long-term damage to your trees if you prune them incorrectly? We often see landowners incorrectly prune a tree by either placing their final pruning cut too far away from the trunk of the tree (leaving a 1 to 2 inch branch stub) or cutting too close to the tree trunk (cutting into the “branch collar”).

Leaving a short branch stub can lead to long-term tree health problems decades from now. As the short stubs decay they have the potential to transport rot fungus into the center of the tree. On the other hand if you cut too close to the trunk you risk cutting into the “branch collar”. If you nick or completely remove the “branch collar” the tree will not be able to effectively heal the pruning wound which leaves the tree vulnerable to rot fungus and therefore blow-down.

Here is a publication that the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) put together to help you learn how to make the proper pruning cuts. Specifically look at p. 14-32 for visual illustrations.http://csfs.colostate.edu/pdfs/Pruning-Presentation_ECCFC-RF_2012_compressed.pdf. Here is another CSFS publication about proper pruning techniques. http://csfs.colostate.edu/pdfs/613.pdf

Why is this important??  By properly pruning your tree you help maintain the long-term health and stability of your trees. “You don’t want to cut too close or too far – make that perfect cut just outside the slightly fatter branch collar.”

Training Announcement: Chainsaw Safety and Skills Class
Chainsaw Safety and Skills Training Class- Space is limited so sign up now if you want to attend
When: Saturday, August 4, 2012 – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To Sign Up: Contact Kris Gibson, 303-545-9670 kgkeewee@nullnetzero.net
Where: Training starts at the Four Mile Canyon Fire Station # 2 in Salina; then we will travel up to Gold Hill for the field practice skills.

The Training will consist of:
–Chainsaw Maintenance – cutting safely requires a well running saw that you are familiar with.
–Chainsaw Safety & Personal Protective Equipment – including things to watch out for while cutting.
–Tree Felling & Cutting Skills – Classroom presentation followed by field exercises.

Presented by:
Eric Philips NWCG Crew Boss, NFPA Engineer Louisville Fire Dist.; Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
Eric Folwell NWCG Engine Boss Louisville Fire Dist. ; Forester, Rocky Mountain Resource Protection

Participants please bring: your own lunch, lots of water, your own gear: chain saw, helmet, gloves, ear and eye protection, chaps. Wear long sleeves, pants and boots.
Space is limited! Please contact Kris Gibson at 303-545-9670 or kgkeewee@nullnetzero.net if you would like to sign up. Cost is $40.00 per person. Cash/Check, paid in full on day of class.

News: Nederland Area Sort Yard to Reopen this Saturday Aug. 4 
The Boulder County Forest Health Initiative is pleased to announce that the Nederland Community Forestry Sort Yard will reopen to area residents on Saturday, Aug. 4.

The sort yard, located at 291 Ridge Road just north of Nederland, will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, through Oct. 20.

Boulder County operates two sort yards each summer in order to provide residents a free of charge location to dispose of logs and slash cut from their land. The Allenspark/Meeker Park area sort yard, located on the Peak-to-Peak Highway just north of the Boulder-Larimer county line closed for the season on July 7.

The widely popular sort yard program has experienced increasingly high usage since it first started accepting material in 2008. “It was truly amazing seeing so many landowners taking action to prepare their homes for future wildfires,” sort yard manager Wayne Harrington said. “This summer we have seen a nearly constant stream of traffic with trucks, trailers, and even Subarus filled to the brim with slash and logs.”

Why should forest landowners be interested in this county service?
The county’s Forest Health Outreach Program for private landowners has been actively encouraging all forest landowners to be good stewards of their backyard forest. The county recommends all landowners create effective defensible space around their homes, aggressively fight bark beetle infestations, and otherwise create healthy sustainable forest ecosystems on their land.

Community forestry sort yards are one tool available to help landowners effectively manage their forested lands. A major hurdle many landowners face when implementing effective mitigation on their land is what to do with leftover slash and logs.

Learn more about wildfire mitigation and bark beetle management
The county works with local fire protection districts, communities and agency partners to offer local community forestry trainings and workshops on wildfire mitigation, bark beetle management and forest restoration. Residents can connect with the Boulder County Forest Outreach Program for private landowners by visiting www.BoulderCounty.org/ForestHealth.

One of the best ways to stay connected about upcoming programs is to sign up for the forest health listserv at www.BoulderCounty.org/ForestHealth. Once signed up, individuals will receive periodic forestry tips of the day, information about upcoming forestry trainings, and other information directly related to managing a backyard forest.

In addition, county outreach forester Ryan Ludlow is available to help answer individual forestry questions and can help set-up free mini neighborhood forest management workshops at a home or at larger community trainings for HOAs, towns and neighborhoods. Give Ryan a call at 720-564-2641 or email rludlow@nullbouldercounty.org.

Forest Landowners are also encouraged to work with the Boulder District of Colorado State Forest Service to implement effective mitigation on their land. CSFS is the lead state agency providing forest stewardship and wildfire mitigation assistance to private landowners. Contact the Boulder District of CSFS at 303-823-5774.

To learn more about how to create and maintain effective wildfire mitigation on personal property visit http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/wf-protection.html or www.firewise.org.
To learn more about bark beetle management visit www.BoulderCounty.org/ForestHealth and open the “Bark Beetle Inspector Identification and Treatment Field Guide” or visithttp://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/mountain-pine-beetle.html.

Cheers,
Ryan

Ryan Ludlow | Forestry Education & Outreach Coordinator 
Boulder County | Land Use Department
P.O. Box 471, Boulder CO 80306
O: 720.564.2641 | F: 303.441.4856
rludlow@nullbouldercounty.org | www.bouldercounty.org/ForestHealth
*Please visit our website to sign-up to receive emails about forestry workshops, community meetings, bark beetle management tips and more!