Eight professional wood-cutting contractors and four government crews are clearing trees and other vegetation in an extensive wildfire mitigation effort in four counties funded by $1.7 million from the Colorado State Forest Service.
The fuels reduction effort is taking place in Boulder, Gilpin, Grand and Larimer counties, according to the state forest service. It is being overseen by Anchor Point Group, a wildfire mitigation company. In addition to the contractors, two fire department wildfire mitigation crews and two county mitigation crews are working — More than 50 people total.
The U.S. Forest Service obtained the $1.7 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and gave the money to the Colorado State Forest Service for the wildfire mitigation effort.
The Colorado State Forest Service said in a news release the mitigation project is critical to protect communities from the threat of wildfires – which have increasingly posed a threat to communities in Colorado’s foothills and mountains.
A total of 19 communities in the four counties will benefit.
Fewer trees means less threat to structures, but also more forage for wildlife, better visibility on roads and less ice, according to the forest service.
The Colorado State Forest Service said that the roadside thinning of trees in Larimer County will help residents evacuate in a safer manner. In Boulder County, the fuel break being cut will influence fire behavior in the Seven Hills community, which was recently threatened by the Fourmile Canyon Fire.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
