Prescribed Burns - Sept & Oct 2014

Prescribed burns scheduled for this autumn on the Rio Grande National Forest
 

MONTE VISTA, Colo. – The San Luis Valley Interagency Fire Management Unit will begin conducting prescribed burns in several locations across the Rio Grande National Forest starting the week of September 22 and continuing through the month of October. Specific locations and timing of these burns will depend on fuels and weather conditions.

Locations to be burned include:
• Blue Creek- 100 acres located along Forest Service Road 600 approximately 2 miles northeast of Wagon Wheel Gap. The purpose of the burn is to improve habitat for bighorn sheep and elk.
• English Valley- 875 acres located south of FSR 660 approximately 6 miles north of Del Norte. The purpose of the burn is to improve habitat for pronghorn antelope.
• Buffalo Pass- 2100 acres located north of County Road NN14 approximately 22 miles west of Saguache. The purpose of the burn is to improve habitat for elk and deer, and reduce fuels from past forest thinning projects.
• Alamaditas- 775 acres located along FSR 102 approximately 15 miles northwest of Antonito. The purpose of the burn is to improve habitat for deer and elk, and reduce fuels to lower the risk of severe wildland fire.

Smoke may be visible in these areas for several days during and following the burns. For more information, contact Sid Hall, prescribed fire/fuels specialist, at 719-850-2384.

CSFS Spruce Beetle Newsletter

The latest Colorado State Forest Service publication on the Spruce Beetle - great summary of the spruce beetle itself, signs of infestation, management of infestation, and potential implications (including wildfire risks). Click link below to read.

The Beetle That's Chewing Up America

A well-written news article on the pine beetles, the forest fires, and the effects on our economy.

The fire, which consumed 110,000 acres of beetle-killed spruce, stole a year’s worth of sales for many businesses in a 100-mile radius after tourists were unable to reach the region, says Eric Grossman, mayor of Creede, a town of about 400. The blaze reversed a tentative economic rebound for several tourist-dependent towns in the nation’s largest alpine valley, which sits at the base of 14,000-foot peaks. “The economy is delicate, and a lot of us exist on $20,000 a year,” Grossman says. “If we don’t turn the corner in the right way, it’s going to impact the town for generations to come.” Read more...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-06-02/pine-beetles-ravaging-forests-strain-budgets-in-u-dot-s-dot-west

Pine Beetles Ravaging Forests Strain Budgets in U.S. West

Beetles are obliterating forests throughout Colorado and the U.S. West, draining budgets as property values decline and threatening tourism at national parks, including the home of Mount Rushmore. Read more...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-06-02/pine-beetles-ravaging-forests-strain-budgets-in-u-dot-s-dot-west

Video: Summer 2014 Public Service Announcement