Saturday, September 24, 2011

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The Power ofollaboration

The pine beetle epidemic coupled with an increased awareness of the need to reduce fuel loads in our forests have encouraged a tremendous effort by individual landowners resulting in increasing amounts of harvested wood throughout our state that needs to be disposed of. However, lack of local markets and the high cost of transporting wood limit the options available to landowners.

Recently a small group of private landowners in Larimer County decided that they could no longer wait for “someone” to come up with a viable solution to this increasingly dangerous problem. They got organized, pooled their resources and purchased an air curtain burner so that local residents could at least dispose of slash, beetle infested and dead trees before they turn into fuel for the next wildfire.

Read more about their efforts on their website, Slash Solutions, LLC, and in a recent report of their first month of operation.

This is an inspirational story of the power of private citizens working together to find solutions to difficult community problems. If they can do it, could you and your neighbors do it too?

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Timber!

The Colorado State Forest Service recently issued a news release about the increased risks of falling trees due to the mountain pine beetle epidemic.  With many dead lodgepole pines standing, foresters are predicting the trees will fall at increasing rates:

http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/5883

contributed by
Scott Golden, Larimer County Tree Farmer

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Forest Stewardship Tip of the Day:
Bark Beetle Surveys Should Happen Now! 

A majority of mountain pine beetles have now finished their annual flight and it is a great time of year to get out in your woods to survey your land for newly infested trees. By aggressively surveying for and removing currently infested trees each year, you have the ability to slow the spread of beetles in your local forest. We are excited to announce a brand new “Bark Beetle Inspector Identification and Treatment Field Guide”. We hope this guide helps you be more effective at surveying your land for newly infested trees. You can download a copy of the new guide by visiting our Forest Health website: http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/environment/barkbeetlefieldguide.pdf (3MB).  Printed copies will be available in the County Land Use Office in a couple of weeks.

contributed by
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@bouldercounty.org | www.bouldercounty.org/ForestHealth

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Passing it Forward

Six neighbors in our subdivision in Grand County purchased a sprayer about 5 years ago. The unit was professionally serviced  on a regular time frame. 

Specs are as follows: 200 gallon tank, Honda 6.5 hp motor Udor Kappa pump, 300 foot hose.  Our group found , if we did not spray, the trees would die.  I believe we were 99% successful.

We no longer need this equipment.

Our asking price is $4500.00.  and trailer included. We also have all manuals and spare parts.  One or more members of our group, would train on the use of the system.

Call with any questions,

Ken McCrady  970 222 5945.