Republicans continue outlandish forest health claims

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

As the politicians argue, forests die and regrow.

Hearing on forest treatment legislation turns into theater of the absurd

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Congress took another half-hearted swing at the so-called forest health crisis this week, with a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on a trio of forest managment bills.

At their most extreme, the measures would eliminate consideration of impacts to endangered species and require the Forest Service to implement proposals under a strict timeline — even if the required environmental reviews aren’t complete.

While each of the three bills include some provisions that could help public land managers address beetle-killed forests and potentially facilitate restoration work, the hearing itself quickly degenerated into classic partisan political theater, with anti-environmental Republicans blaming the Forest Service for the pine beetle epidemic, and liberal Democrats drawing analogies between baseball players on steroids and climate change.

You can watch an archived video of the hearing at the committee website. (more…)

Filed under: BLM, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, forests, global warming, pine beetles and wildfires, public lands, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Bucks for beetles: Bipartisan farm bill amendment to double funds for beetle mitigation passes U.S. Senate

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

More federal funding could help western forests recover from the bark beetle epidemic.

House gets another crack at measure

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The U.S. Forest Service is one step closer to getting a funding boost for bark beetle mitigation, as a 2012 Farm Bill amendment offered by Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet passed the Senate Wednesday.

The amendment would double the proposed budget for beetle-related forest work from $100 million to $200 million. The full budget bill still has to pass the Senate, then heads back to the House.

Along with funding, Udall and Bennet want to see more public-private sector partnerships developed to address bark-beetle epidemic. (more…)

Filed under: agriculture, Colorado, Environment, Forest health, pine beetles and wildfires, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: High Park Fire slows down

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Air support helps protect threatened homes in the area; one death reported, 118 structures destroyed or damaged

High Park Fire map

Summit Voice contributor Mark Newby created this updated map of the High Park Fire in Larimer County, Colorado. Click on the image for more maps and information at http://www.blackicegeospatial.com.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — After two days of explosive growth, the High Park Fire in Larimer County, Colorado, slowed dramatically Monday, as the winds died back and aerial firefighting units, including five heavy air tankers, made a concerted effort to halt the advancing flames.

In an early morning tweet, the Larimer County Sheriff’s office said the fire’s footprint is now at 43,400 acres (about 67 square miles), “with some containment.”

“We should have a little bit of good news at the (Tuesday) morning briefing,” said Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith, explaining that crews were able to establish an anchor point and start building hand lines at the southwest corner of the fire.

(more…)

Filed under: Colorado, forest fires, pine beetles and wildfires, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: More beetle-kill bucks wanted

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Beetle-killed forests dominate some mid-elevation landscapes in Colorado.

Udall, Bennet seek to double appropriation in 2012 farm bill

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The U.S. Forest Service needs more money to stay on pace with removing beetle-killed trees from western forests, and Colorado’s two senators this week introduced an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill that would double the budgeted amount from $100 million to $200 million.

The bill would encourage the Forest Service to partner with the private sector to develop some economic value for the dead trees, something that has proven to be a vexing challenge for struggling sawmills in the region and for proponents of using the wood for energy, who have gained very little traction as more and more studies show that large-scale bioenergy from forest products is not sustainable. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Forest health, forests, pine beetles, pine beetles and wildfires, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: High Park Fire uncontained at 37,000 acres

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Front Range wildfire behaving unexpectedly; firefighters hope to gain a toehold on containment Monday

High Park Fire footprint and perimeter as of early Monday morning. MAP COURTESY MARK NEWBY. Click on the image to visit the map on the web. The map is based on data from an overflight at 12:20 a.m. and data released by the USFS 6:52 a.m. The fire has burned another seven hours since then, so it has likely grown even larger.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — After two days of watching the High Park fire spread and even double back on itself, firefighters late Sunday night said that with lower winds forecast Monday, they hope to at least gain a toehold against the fire which grew to 37,000 acres in just two days, according to the latest InciWeb update released Monday morning.

Get the latest updates on the fire at Larimer County emergency services website and at the InciWeb.org national fire information website. Real-time updates are also streaming on Twitter from @LarimerSheriff and at the #HighParkFire hashtag. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, pine beetles and wildfires, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

New U.S. Forest Service report cautions against making general assumptions about beetle-kill and wildfires

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Still more questions than answers

Beetle-killed trees on the Frisco Peninsula in Summit County, Colorado.

Young and healthy lodgepoles grow in a beetle-killed stand in Frisco, Colorado.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — As Forest Service researchers continue to study the dynamics of beetle-killed forests and wildfires, it seems  each new study raises at least as many questions as it answers. One of the latest efforts warns against basing resource decisions on generalized assumptions.

The new study from the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research and Pacific Northwest Research stations, and the University of Idaho tries to provide a more complete picture of the effects of the pine beetle, but concludes that there are still key gaps in the research making it hard for resource managers to know exactly what those effects are.

“This study was prompted by concerns about the possibility of more extreme crown fire behavior in beetle-killed stands and public safety and structure loss, as well as impacts on firefighting operations,” said co-author Jane Hayes, who also serves as assistant director of the Pacific Southwest Research Station. “Our aim was to synthesize available information to provide greater understanding to fire and resource managers who need to consider the effect of beetle-killed trees on future wildfire characteristics.”

Forest type, climatic and weather conditions, elapsed time since the beetle infestation and the condition of other fuels are all important factors in evaluating fire potential and treatment options, the study says. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, forest fires, forests, global warming, pine beetles and wildfires, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Colorado: Forest Service set to close popular West Magnolia recreation area for logging and forest restoration project

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Pine beetles and wind storms have created dangerous conditions around trails near Nederland

Logging to close popular Forest Service recreation area most of the summer.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Forest Service crews will tackle yet another patch of beetle-killed forest sometime in early June, logging about 330 acres in the popular West Magnolia recreation area near Nederland.

The area will be closed for most of the summer, as the agency tries to mitigate safety concerns associated with intense fire potential, and hazard trees weakened by mountain pine beetles, as well as recent wind events. (more…)

Filed under: biking, climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, Forest health, forests, hiking, pine beetles and wildfires, public lands, recreation | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Summit County: Forest Service planning big post-beetle reforestation push at local campgrounds this summer

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Post-beetle kill in Summit County, Colorado.

3,000 trees arrive, ready to be planted

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — After clearing thousands of beetle-killed trees from Summit County campgrounds and trails the past few years, the U.S. Forest Service is going into restoration mode. While there’s still more hazard tree removal to be done, rangers say they are ready to plant about 3,000 trees, including lodgepole, ponderosa and even some spruce trees.

The trees were just delivered on a couple of flatbed trucks, according to Sarah Pearson, a silviculturalist with the White River River National Forest. An inmate forestry crew will start planting the trees May 2 around the Peak One campground, as well as Prospector Point and Lowry campgrounds, Pearson said. (more…)

Filed under: agriculture, Colorado, Dillon Ranger District, Environment, Forest health, forests, pine beetles, pine beetles and wildfires, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service, White River National Forest | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Summit County: Grants available for wildfire mitigation

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

$300,000 to fund neighborhood, community projects

The U.S. Forest clearcut this section of Swan Mountain a few years ago.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Local homeowners and communities once have the opportunity to reduce wildfire risks to their neighborhoods through two grant programs, with a total of $300,000 available for mitigation projects.

Applications are due in late April, and some good info is online in this short video from the local wildfire council.

Working together, Summit County stakeholders have treated more than 4,600 acres since adoption of a community wildfire protection plan in 2006.

The ongoing hazardous fuels reduction program targets private landowners who coordinate community wide projects, including loosely affiliated contiguous homeowners and organized HOAs. Grant applications are online at the Summit County wildfire mitigation website. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, forest fires, Forest health, pine beetles, pine beetles and wildfires, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Forest Service chief fields budget questions

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.

Bark beetles, climate change and firefighting among the key concerns in U.S. Senate hearing

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Intertwined concerns about overall forest health, bark beetles, climate change and wildfires took center state Tuesday at a full hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle questioned Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell about his agency’s ability to meet its obligations to address the multiple challenges.

U.S. Senator Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat, said it’s critical to engage the private sector and encourage the use of beetle kill products by expanding markets for forest products. That requires streamlining contracting procedures and giving incentives to companies that use beetle-killed wood for construction, as well as wood pellets and biomass for energy production. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, forests, global warming, pine beetles and wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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