Today’s forest health outreach update covers the following topics:
* Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: Grasses are curing out and should be cut
* Wildfire Mitigation Training:  In Jamestown on Thursday Sept. 6
* Reminder: Allenspark Sort Yard to Reopen on this Friday!!

*Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: Grasses are curing out and should be cut
Forestry Tip of the Day: As we transition into fall and grasses continue to cure out it is an important time of year to cut your grass and make sure your gutters are clear of flammable debris.

You should cut the grasses within 30 feet of all structures to a height of 6 inches or less. Make sure to aggressively cut all grasses underneath pine trees that remain within 30 feet of your home. You can also cut the grass along driveways and the roadside to make safer ingress and egress.

If you haven’t been on your roof in awhile you should check to make sure your gutters are free of needles and leaves. Each fall conifer trees shed 1/3 of the needles on the interior branches of the tree. Fall needle drop is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. Many residents call our office thinking their trees are being killed by pine beetles when in reality it is just normal fall needle drop season. Take a look outside; are needles on the interior of your trees turning yellow/red?   Are the needles falling in your gutters and accumulating along the edge of your house? If yes, get out a rake and clean that flammable stuff away from your walls and out of your gutter.

Why is this important??   A fire ban is now back in effect for the mountain areas of unincorporated Boulder County. Please visit us online (www.bouldercounty.org/apps/newsroom/templates/bc12.aspx?articleid=3280&zoneid=1) or contact the Sheriff’s office directly for official information about current fire restrictions.

Cutting your grass helps reduce the surface fire (aka grass fire) intensity as the fire approaches your home. This reduction in fire intensity helps limit the amount that fire will be able to climb into tree tops which provides a safer location for firefighters to protect your home. Many homes were lost in the Fourmile Canyon Fire because folks didn’t know about the importance of cutting your grass.

*Wildfire Mitigation Training: In Jamestown on Thursday Sept. 6

We have one more free forestry trainings coming up on Thursday Sept. 6 in Jamestown focused on proactive Wildfire Mitigation. With our current fire danger it is an important time to learn about the steps you can take to dramatically increase the likelihood of your home surviving the next fire. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn about how and why homes are lost during wildfires!

Presentations will be given by Boulder County and Colorado State Forest Service staff and local firefighters will be available to answer questions.

Jamestown/Left Hand Canyon Area Training
When: Thurs., Sept. 6 – 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Jamestown Town Hall, 118 Main St.
Sponsors: Jamestown and Left Hand fire protection districts, Town of Jamestown

A more detailed training description is available online: http://www.bouldercounty.org/property/forest/pages/foresthealthevents.aspx

*Reminder: Allenspark Sort Yard to Reopen on this Friday! 

The north county Allenspark Community Forestry Sort Yard will reopen this Friday Sept. 7 on a limited schedule for four consecutive Fridays and Saturdays in September. (Open 9/7-9/8, 9/14-9/15, 9/21-9/22, & 9/28-29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.) The south county Nederland sort yard, located at 291 Ridge Road, just north of Nederland will continue its 9 -5 p.m., Tues. – Sat., schedule through Oct. 20.

Both sort yard site will begin accepting logs that are infested with mountain pine beetles on Friday Sept. 14. Visit: www.BoulderCounty.org/ForestHealthfor more information about our sort yard program.

Fall is the perfect time of year to be cutting for bark beetles, wildfire mitigation and forest health improvement. The best time of year to cut in relation to bark beetles (both IPS and MPBs) is from about Sept. 15 to March 15.

Cheers,
Ryan

Ryan Ludlow | Forestry Education & Outreach Coordinator 
Boulder County | Land Use Department
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!