Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day:Go see Jack Cohen speak next week

This forestry tip of the day is a bit different than what we normally send out. Today we really want to encourage everyone to attend a keynote lecture by Jack Cohen on Thursday Oct. 27. Jack is a well known researcher that has spent 20 years studying the ins and outs of the factors that lead to homes burning down during wildland fires. Much of the information that forestry experts present to you at wildfire mitigation workshops comes directly from Jack’s research. Jack’s presentation will be a great opportunity to learn, question and become empowered. See the next section of this email on October Wildfire Awareness Month for more details about Jack’s presentation. I hope to see all of you there! I, for one, am really looking forward to his presentation and will be scribbling notes just as fast as the rest of you.

October Wildfire Awareness Month: Upcoming Events!

Events next Week: October Wildfire Awareness Month!

Visit www.BoulderCountyCWPP.org for a complete list of events and activities!

Presentation: Residential Fire Destruction During Wildfires
Keynote Lecture by Jack Cohen
When: Thursday, October 27, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: University of Colorado Boulder Campus, in Hale Hall #270

Come learn what every homeowner living the foothills of the county needs to know about living in a wildfire prone area. Jack’s presentation will focus on many topics including: How fire disasters occur; How homes ignite during extreme burning conditions; What this means, in general, for preventing future fire disasters; The role of the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) (aka Defensible Space and building materials) plus much more.

Jack has spent over 20 years investigating wildfires to determine why some houses burn and others do not.  A nationally renowned expert, Jack Cohen has conducted ground-breaking research and authored numerous articles on the subject. Dr. Cohen is a research scientist at the Fire Sciences Laboratory in the US Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station in Montana. Here’s a link to Dr. Cohen’s Bio: http://www.firelab.org/staff-directory/8

Free Community Chipping in Lefthand Canyon this Weekend!
What: Boulder County landowners can drop off slash up to 6 inches in diameter for free
When: Sat. Oct. 22 and Sunday Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: the drop-off site is at one of Lefthand’s Fire Station – 7300 Lefthand Canyon Road
Questions: If you have questions about the Lefthand chipping event please call Russell Leadingham at 720-214-0560 or email rleadingham@nulllefthandfire.org
Sponsors: Wagner Rents, Left Hand Fire Protection District, Boulder County
Slash drop-off Guidelines:

• Site is open for material drop-off on the day of the event between 9:00 am and 3:00pm, or until site has reached capacity. No material will be accepted prior to 9:00 am the day of chipping.
• Residents and neighbors are required to haul material to the chipping site. No local curbside pickup is available.
• Maximum diameter of slash: 6” — Minimum diameter of slash: ¾”
• Only forest slash will be accepted (branches, shrubs etc.). No leaf litter, trash, construction waste, dirt, metal or rocks.  It is very important that slash does not contain any metal (including old nails and fencing). That material will damage donated chippers.

Sunshine Canyon Community Meeting on Ballot Issue 5C: Oct. 24 at 7pm

Due to the number of questions and concerns regarding ballot Issue 5C, Boulder County Mountains Forest Improvement District, there is a Town Hall meeting in Sunshine Canyon scheduled on October 24th at 7pm. This meeting will be held at fire station #1, 311 County Rd 83 (off Sunshine Canyon Drive). This meeting is being organized by community members of Sunshine Canyon and their will be County Commissioner present to answer questions. This meeting has come about due to a number of Sunshine Canyon residents having unanswered questions and concerns about this ballot issue. This meeting is open to all mountain residents.

FYI – The Board of County Commissioners are available to attend local community meetings to help answer questions about what the creation of a Forest Improvement District would mean for county residents. If your community is interested in setting up a meeting with a County Commissioner to discuss this ballot question please contact Megan Davis, policy analyst, with the Commissioners office, at 303-441-3562 or email mdavis@nullbouldercounty.org.

Here is a weblink to a fact sheet about ballot issue 5C:http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/government/fidfacts.pdf
Here is a weblink to the official ballot issue 5C resolution:http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/government/2011-94forestlid.pdf
Here is a map of the proposed Forest Improvement District:http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/government/fidmap.pdf

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