APRIL 2021
Big Thompson Conservation District in the NEWS!
Cheley Colorado Camps in Estes Park is getting ahead of the next round of wildfires with nearly 80 acres of forestry work being performed by BTCD. “It is inevitable that these places will see fire again, we just hope it has less of an impact.” said Matt Marshall Forest Program Manager for the district. “This is a total ecosystem restoration and we’re trying to bring all the right people and partners on board to make sure we are leaving the land better than it was when we found it.”
Read the full article: https://www.eptrail.com/2021/04/28/cheley-camps-getting-ahead-of-future-wildfires/
Big Thompson Conservation District in the NEWS!
Cheley Colorado Camps in Estes Park is getting ahead of the next round of wildfires with nearly 80 acres of forestry work being performed by BTCD. “It is inevitable that these places will see fire again, we just hope it has less of an impact.” said Matt Marshall Forest Program Manager for the district. “This is a total ecosystem restoration and we’re trying to bring all the right people and partners on board to make sure we are leaving the land better than it was when we found it.”
Read the full article: https://www.eptrail.com/2021/04/28/cheley-camps-getting-ahead-of-future-wildfires/
MARCH 2021
SLASH PILE BURNING TO OCCUR IN THE MEADOWDALE LANE AREA The Gravitas Peak Prescribed Fire Module and The Ember Alliance, with support from the Big Thompson Conservation District, are intending to conduct a slash pile burn on Meadowdale Lane near the town of Estes Park. Burning may start as soon as Monday morning, March 15, 2021 or may occur other days of the week as conditions dictate. Firefighters will continue to evaluate snow conditions following the upcoming storm, but intend to take advantage of the significant snow fall. Smoke may be visible in the vicinity of Meadowdale Lane / Hermit Park Open Space throughout the week. Piles are only ignited under certain conditions, including staffing, favorable smoke dispersal and appropriate weather. Estes Valley Fire Protection District will be notified before any burning is done. Piles will not be ignited during high winds or without adequate snow cover. The areas are monitored after burning is completed. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations. Efforts will be made to minimize any smoke impact to the surrounding community. The purpose of the slash pile burns are to remove hazardous forest fuels after forest thinning treatments are completed. The treatments and the prescribed fire are designed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to the surrounding forest and communities. For more information please visit emberalliance.org and gpwfm.org If you have specific questions or concerns please email contact@emberalliance.org |
December 2020
Big Thompson Conservation District in the NEWS!
Big Thompson Conservation District in the NEWS!
Matt Marshall, BTCD Forest Program Director, explains the importance of our work to the Loveland Reporter Herald saying, “ We are in a really exciting time to be (doing) this work on the Front Range,” adding the team is seeing shifts in thoughts on land restoration and forest management. Conservation Districts were formed in the 1940s to do soil conservation efforts during the Dust Bowl. But as the environment has begun experiencing large scale forest fires, the districts have shifted their programs to fire restoration and mitigation. Marshall said that across the Front Range the conservation districts have established programs to work under the Healthy Forests Initiative, an almost two-decade-old restoration program, and doing projects across Larimer County to “hopefully help out with future wildfires.”
Read the full article: https://www.reporterherald.com/2020/12/25/big-thompson-conservation-district-other-front-range-districts-works-to-prevent-extensive-wildfires-before-they-happen |
Matt Marshall, BTCD Forest Program Director explains how Conservation Districts secure funding to help make forest management more affordable for individual landowners or homeowners associations. About half of the state's 5.7 million people live in wildfire-prone areas near forests, and private landowners own about 7 million acres of forest. So when a historic wildfire season burns 650,000 acres of forest like this season, it stokes interest for many in the state. "Since the Cameron Peak Fire, our phones have been ringing nonstop,'' Marshall said. "We have even had interest from those landowners we have spoken to in the past who weren't crazy about what we were offering but now because of the fires realize forest management is necessary on their properties.''
Read the full article: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2020/12/21/healthy-forest-program-offers-colorado-forest-fire-mitigation-funding-cameron-peak-fire |