CUMBRES PASS, Colo. – The Conejos Peak Ranger District is hosting a public meeting on Monday, October 26, 2015 to discuss analysis of the proposed CP District-wide Salvage project. The meeting will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at Trujillo Meadows Campground located 2½ miles up Forest Service Road 118 (near the Cumbres Pass area of Colorado state highway 17).
Approximately 550,000 acres of spruce-fir forest has been infested by spruce beetles on the Rio Grande National Forest. In many areas, almost every Engelmann spruce tree larger than five inches in diameter has died.
Michael Tooley, supervisory forester for the Conejos Peak Ranger District, will provide an overview of the spruce-fir forest condition and discuss the proposed analysis. One of the primary purposes for considering a large-scale analysis is to increase efficiency with offering salvage projects in order to recover the commercial value of the dead trees for sawtimber.
For current information about the field trip or the proposed analysis call 719-274-8971.