Fire Ban Remains in Effect for the Mtns. Please help spread the word in your community!

Don’t let the snow earlier this week fool you; it didn’t have much impact on the current fire danger. The fire danger remains HIGH in the foothills and mountains. Today, the National Weather Service issued a “Fire Weather Watch” for Boulder County which means that critical fire weather conditions are possible. The weather service is predicting strong gusty winds and very low relative humidity for the Front Range Foothills including Boulder County on Friday and Friday evening. “IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT START MAY SPREAD QUICKLY AND BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.” Visit www.noaa.gov for further information about critical fire weather.

Visit the Sheriff’s office webpage for more information about the current FIRE BAN. www.bouldercountysheriff.org/

Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day: Read A Message from Senator Mark Udall Regarding Present Fire Risk

(The following information is from Senator Mark Udall’s website/blog. Visit:  www.markudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=2132 directly if you have difficulty accessing the weblinks)

Dear Fellow Coloradan,

The wildfire season is off to an early and devastating start in Colorado. In the past few weeks, we have seen tragic fires, including the Lower North Fork Fire in Jefferson County and the Heartstrong Fire on the plains of Yuma County. And with Colorado State University climatologists estimating drought conditions in 98 percent of our state, it is even more important for Coloradans to help prevent and be prepared for wildfire. I encourage you to take these three proactive steps to protect your homes and communities from wildfire

Recreate Responsibly: Err on the side of caution. Don’t leave campfires unattended, think before doing anything that could cause a spark in the backcountry and avoid outdoor burning. Be aware of fire risk by watching for posted warnings, and take responsibility for obeying restrictions in your area.

Prepare Your Property for Fire: If you live in a high-risk area, you can take precautionary steps to protect your home from fire, such as installing fire-resistant roofing and creating a safety zone around your home, including carefully storing firewood and other flammable objects. But one of the most important steps is removing leaves, pine needles and other flammable material from your home’s foundation. If you live in a wildfire-prone area, the most important yard tool is not necessarily a chainsaw; it’s a rake and a weed-whacker.

Prepare in Advance for Evacuation: Hundreds of homes have already been evacuated early in this season, and it can be a harrowing process. Families can cut down on stress by building an emergency kit and making a family communications plan that ensures the safety of people and essential belongings. If you have neighbors who are elderly or have special needs, consider them in your plans too.

Last year, I requested a scientific study on the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire in Boulder County. The resulting U.S. Forest Service report lays out the factors that influenced the most expensive fire in Colorado history so that our government agencies and homeowners can better prepare for future fire emergencies. The report contains some valuable advice for Coloradans whose homes are located in areas at high risk for wildfire. Having access to good information is key to being prepared for wildfire. That’s why I am also joining Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Mike Coffman in calling for an after-action review of the Lower North Fork Fire.

Wildfire season usually starts much later in the year in Colorado, and the dry and gusty conditions that fueled both the Lower North Fork Fire and the Heartstrong fire are warning signs that it may be a very long firefighting season. Please take the time now to get ready, and stay safe this wildfire season.

Best regards,

Senator Mark Udall

P.S. If you live in the Wildland Urban Interface, take the Firewise Quiz: http://www.firewise.org/Information/Firewise-Quiz.aspx

Boulder County is offering financial assistance to encourage mountain communities to conduct community based chipping projects. Communities, and community organizations, including incorporated towns, homeowner associations, and fire protection districts are eligible.

Ideal projects will offer multiple property owners either a central drop-off site for trees and slash or provide chipping services on a property-by-property basis. Reimbursement is also available to communities who organize “curb side” pickup and transportation of biomass to a Community Forestry Sort Yard.

This program only reimburses select communities for direct costs related to chipping or biomass transportation. Reimbursement is not available for tree cutting costs. Subject to prior approval, the County will reimburse up to 40% of direct costs up to a maximum of $4,000 per community. The County has allocated $13,000 for this program in 2012.

Much more detailed information including eligibility requirements are available online. Please visit:http://www.bouldercounty.org/property/forest/pages/chippingreimbursement.aspx. Community applications for the program are due by April 20, 2012.

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!