Announcement: A Series of Local Community Trainings on Wildfire Mitigation!

The county has been working with communities throughout the foothills to set up a series of community trainings titled “The Keys to Creating and Maintaining Effective Defensible Space.” The trainings start this week and will be held in the evenings in Gold Hill (April 25), Nederland (May 2), Coal Creek Canyon (May 9) and Allenspark (May 23).

The trainings present lessons learned from the draft Fourmile Canyon Fire Assessment (http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/docs/fourmile-canyon-fire/preliminary-findings.pdf) and give participants concrete steps to take to prepare their homes and forests for future fires. Current research suggests that landowners who take precautionary action dramatically increase the likelihood of their homes surviving the next fire. 

There have already been several destructive early season wildfires and the fire danger throughout the foothills and mountains of Boulder County remains high. There continues to be an early season fire ban (www.bouldercountysheriff.org/) in effect and unless we receive significantly more precipitation we may be moving into a very active and dangerous wildfire season. Right now is a very important time to learn how to prepare your home and family for future wildland fires. 

Gold Hill Area Training Date
When: Wednesday, April 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Gold Hill Community Center, 1011 Main St. (above the Main Fire Barn)
Sponsor: Town of Gold Hill

Nederland Area Training Date
When: Wednesday, May 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Nederland Community Center, 750 Highway 72 North
Sponsors: Nederland Fire Protection District, Town of Nederland, Nederland Parks Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board PROSAB

Coal Creek Canyon Area Training Date
When: Wednesday, May 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association, 31528 Highway 72, Golden
Sponsor: The Environmental Group

Allenspark Area Training Date
When: Wednesday, May 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Outside at the Allenspark Community Forestry Sort Yard, 8170 Highway 7

For more information on the series of wildfire mitigation trainings visit: www.bouldercounty.org/ForestHealth. 

Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: Ips Beetles are Flying and MPB Infested Trees are Fading

Forestry Tip of the Day: “observations from the field” Over the past two weeks I have observed Ips beetles (pine engraver) flying and attacking freshly cut “green” firewood piles and freshly cut “green” slash. I have also begun to observe trees “fading” from bright green to dull green and then to a reddish/yellowish color along the Peak to Peak Hwy Corridor due to mountain pine beetle attack during the 2011 beetle flight. 

Why is this important?? Ips bark beetle fly multiple times (4-6 times) each summer and often their most damaging flight occurs this time of year in the spring. If you have been out cutting over the past two(ish) months I would recommend that you survey the “freshly cut material” (material that was still green and wet when cut) for signs of ips beetle infestation. Look for very small piles of sawdust looking material (aka frass) accumulating on the tops of logs and slash. If you see signs of ips beetle attack and don’t know what to do then please feel free to give me a call for a quick conversation about ips beetle management!

Mountain pine beetle fly once per year between mid-July and mid-Sept. The trees that were infested during last summer’s 2011 flight “fade” from green to red/yellow about 8-9 months after initial attack. Right now is a perfect time to survey your land and search for trees that are just starting to fade. These fading trees are still infested with beetles from the 2011 flight and it is highly recommended that these trees be removed at minimum a month (the sooner the better) before the 2012 mountain pine beetle flight begins (flight typically occurs from mid-July to mid-Sept.). These currently infested “fading” trees are easy to pick out on the landscape right now which is why we recommend surveying your forest for trees that are changing colors.

Both the Allenspark and Nederland Sort Yards are opening in May and they are free locations to dispose of beetle infested wood. For more information on sort yards visit:www.BoulderCounty.org/ForestHealth 

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!