Glacier View Meadows

Ecology Club

May 14, 2019

Daniel Bowker

Forest and Fire Project Manager

OUR MISSION: To improve & maintain the ecological

health of the Poudre River Watershed through

community collaboration.

We work to achieve our mission by focusing on these key themes:

HIGH PARK FIRE - RESTORATION RESPONSE

Initially High Park

Restoration Coalition –

informal group of over

20 entities

Formalized in May 2013

501(c)3 non-profit Boyd Gulch - Larimer County

POST-FIRE RECOVERY WORK – SKIN GULCH

Post-fire flooding at Skin Gulch

damages Stove Prairie Rd & CO-14

Skin Gulch 2016 post restoration

completion

Post fire flooding at Poudre River

at Monroe TunnelOn-going post fire recovery work

POST FIRE RECOVERY WORK – UT3

Figure 10. A crown fire

races through the canopy

of a ponderosa pine

forest.

https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu

/em9172module3/html

Figure 28—

Prescribed fire in

the Manitou

Experimental Forest

on the Pike National

Forest, October

2014.

Reintroduction of

fire through

prescribed or

wildland fire use is a

vital component of

restoration as it

goes beyond

structural

restoration to

restore ecological

processes (photo:

S. Alton, U.S.

Forest Service).

RMRS-GTR-373Structure→process

The view along the South

Platte River in the Pike

National Forest, in 1903 and

2012. When wildfires burn in

dense forests today they are

often hotter and can destroy

more trees.

Denver Water Department archives and

Paula Fornwalt/U.S. Forest Service

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/14/618225625

/looking-to-history-to-combat-wildfires

This photo pairing shows

Colorado's Geer Canyon in

1911 and 2006. Decades of

efforts to suppress fires have

helped increased the density

and homogeneity of

ponderosa pine tree forests.

Carnegie Library for Local

History/Museum of Boulder

Collection and Boulder County Parks

& Open Space

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/14/6182256

25/looking-to-history-to-combat-

wildfires

RMRS-GTR-373

Figure 18—Variation in forest

structure reflecting topographic

influences and underlying

moisture gradients. South-facing

slopes are characterized by open,

ponderosa pine woodlands with

trees occurring both in groups

and as scattered individuals.

Forest density increases in areas

with higher moisture, such as

north-facing slopes. The

proportion of Douglas-fir typically

increases as well with increasing

moisture. Aspen is also an

important component of forest

structure, typically occupying

areas with higher moisture

availability.

RMRS-GTR-373

Figure 14—Ponderosa pine woodland in the Roosevelt National Forest near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, illustrating an open, low-density stand structure (photo: P. Brown, Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, used with permission).

RMRS-GTR-373

Figure 15—Fine-scale (<1 acre) opening within a dry mixed-conifer forest in the Pike National Forest near Woodland Park, Colorado (photo: P. Brown, Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, used with permission).

• Reduce stand density, focus on

removing stems <6” DBH

• Do not remove trees >18” DBH

• Preferentially retain ponderosa

pine over Douglas-fir

• Retain old trees

• Flat/spiky/dead top, smooth

orange bark, large lower

limbs

• Vary density with aspect, soil

moisture

• Establish openings, disconnect

canopy groups

• Retain coarse woody debris,

snags for wildlife

Stakeholder driven

Spatial analysis

Prioritizes hazards (wildfires) to critical watershed values (healthy forests, rivers, water supply)

Completed in 2017

WATERSHED RESILIENCE PLAN FORTHE UPPER POUDRE

• Diverse forests (type and density)

• Small, isolated areas of high wildfire hazard

• Intact, functional riparian areas

• Native riparian vegetation

• Floodplains connected to streams

• Upland areas with appropriate native groundcover

• Minimal impact of roads and development on watershed

function

Putting the

plan into

action

Where are other

agencies working?

Prioritize our work

to take advantage of

nearby mitigation

treatments

Create landscape

scale fuel break

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• CPRW is working with

local communities

• Partnering with USFS,

CFRI, TNC to broaden

outreach & education

• Direct mailing

campaign with

American Forest

Foundation• Forester site visit

• Tours/workshops

• Landowner guide

Coalition for the Poudre River

Watershed

Colorado Forest Restoration Institute

The Nature Conservancy

US Forest Service

USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station

Natural Resources Conservation Service

and Fort Collins Conservation District

Division of Fire Prevention and Control

Colorado State Forest Service

Larimer County

Fire protection districts

Defensible space

resources:

Colorado State

Forest Service

Larimer County

Office of Emergency

Management

Local Fire Protection

District

•Develop a family disaster response plan complete with escape routes

and an emergency meeting place.

•Have an emergency go-kit with supplies readily available. This should

include prescription medication and back-up eye glasses/contacts.

•Review your homeowners/renters insurance policy to ensure you

have adequate coverage. If you do not have flood insurance, consider

purchasing it by contacting your local insurance agent.

•Arrange temporary housing outside of the threatened area. Make

arrangements for relocation of pets and animals.

•Place valuable papers and mementos in your car in case of

evacuation.

Potbelly Restaurant and Lounge Ben Delatour Scout Ranch

Red Feather Lakes Library Shambhala

Summits Secrets Stove Prairie Landing

Trout Tavern Glacier View Meadows

Dalonna Mae's Café Red Feather Lakes

Orville's Mt Margaret

Tomas Rogers Lady Moon Lake

The Forks North Rim Road

Livermore Community Center Parvin Lake

Crystal Lakes Community Center Mishawaka

The Golf Club At Fox Acres

Questions?

Email Daniel Bowker

daniel@poudrewatershed.org