Winiger Ridge Ecosystem Management Pilot Project
A Partnership Effort of the
Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative
FIFTH YEAR EDITION Information Newsletter
Issue 5/Spring 2003

The purpose of the Winiger Ridge Ecosystem Management Pilot Project is to work collaboratively to reduce the potential for catastrophic insect, disease and wildfire events while improving overall ecosystem health in the project area. This Reinvention Pilot Project is currently one of 22 to be partially funded by the U.S. Forest Service to demonstrate a "boundary-less" approach to natural resource management. Emphasis is on cooperation between land management agencies and interested landowners and stakeholders.

IN THIS ISSUE

• Project updates & highlights
• Stewardship Contract #3 Awarded and Started
• Tungsten Mt. Project/Porter Ranch/Lake Shore Project
• Small-Diameter Marketing and Utilization
• Agency Updates and Progress Reports
• Upcoming Events and Workshop

In our last edition, we welcomed Amy Krommes to the Boulder area. Amy is now the seasoned project leader for the U.S. Forest Service and is responsible for overall project management for the Forest Service. She is now assisted in the field by Mark Von Alman who joins the project after transferring from the Canyon Lakes District of the Arapahoe/Roosevelt N.F. in Larimer County. Also new to the Winiger Ridge Management Team is Ed Guzman - the new Fire Management Officer for the Boulder Ranger District. Ed will oversee all prescribed burn projects. Bev Baker remains in charge of the wildlife and noxious weed components of the project. Craig Jones of the Colorado State Forest Service continues to serve as the Interagency Project Coordinator.

Stewardship Contract #3 Awarded

One of the primary components of the Winiger Ridge Project is the testing of new authorities granted to the expanded number of 56 Reinvention Pilot Projects. Locally the new authorities being tested involves the use of stewardship contracts to implement vegetation management instead of using a traditional timber sale contract. Stewardship Contract #3 is a 217-acre area in the West Magnolia and Lazy Z Community Planning Areas. It will consist of four cutting units of various timber types and forest densities. Work involves pre-commercial thinning
(1-5 inches), commercial thinning (>6 inches), road improvement/maintenance, shelterwood thinning and several small patchcuts for aspen regeneration and/or dwarf mistletoe control The contract has been awarded to Mark Morgan of Wellington, Colorado near Ft. Collins. Mr. Morgan is also the contractor for Stewardship #1 in the Boy Scout area north of Magnolia Road. Work began this past fall and is expected to continue through the winter months. Mark plans to use a number of harvesting methods with much of the small diameter material being used for posts, poles and fencing material.

Monitoring and Evaluation Program

Monitoring and Evaluation are key components of the pilot project and of adaptive management. They were identified locally early in this project as important components to involved local stakeholders. In order to ensure consistency in monitoring and evaluation, the U.S. Forest Service has nationally contracted out the administration and oversight of the
M & E Program to the Pinchot Institute - a non-profit conservation group dealing with forestry and natural resource management. There is a national team, regional team and local teams for each project. The local monitoring team includes personnel from the U.S and Colorado State Forest Service, Rocky Smith of Colorado WILD, Pete Morton of the Wilderness Society and Scott Reuman of PUMA. Other experts in the areas of soils, hydrology, archaeology and landscape architecture are also available as needed. The four components being monitored are the biologic, economic, social and administrative aspects of the project.

This past year, several tours were held to preview work planned on National Forest System Lands as well as to review ongoing work. In addition, the local team has been in the field collecting data and information about ongoing work. This will be instrumental in determining project successes and pinpointing areas for change in the future. Tours are scheduled throughout the year and are open to the public. They are announced in the Mountain Ear and posted on the informational kiosks at the top and bottom of Magnolia Road. They are also listed in the calendar of events on the Winiger Ridge web site. For more information about the monitoring and evaluation effort, contact Amy Krommes of the U.S Forest Service at (303) 245-6406

Small Diameter Marketing and Utilization
Progress Report and Update

One of the critical challenges facing natural resource managers in Boulder County and the Front Range of Colorado is how to utilize the vast amount of small diameter material that will be removed as fuel reduction projects, forest restoration efforts and landscape-scale watershed protection projects move forward over the next several decades. This issue was identified by the Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative when it first organized in 1995 to address issues involving Colorado's Red Zone. In 2000, the Winiger Ridge Project received an Economic Action Grant from the U. S. Forest Service to address marketing and utilization (M & U) at the project level. A number of activities have been identified and progress is now being made in this important arena. Elaine Hughes has been hired to administer the grant. To date several items have been initiated or completed. These include:

• Local and regional assessment of acres available for thinning
• Small Diameter Marketing and Utilization Info Session & Tour
• Bio-energy Task Force formed and projects identified
• Opportunities for Small Diameter M & U Workshop
• Cost analysis of burning slash piles verses chipping for biomass use
• Xmas tree "tagging" initiative implemented

The Bio-energy Task Force is working with the Town of Nederland as they move forward with the Community Center restoration project. The goal would be to heat the Center with wood chips produced locally from wildfire mitigation and forest improvement activities. Boulder County is conducting a feasibility study to use a commercial wood-chip heating system for their new natural resource building at the County Fairground facility. A number of potential entrepreneurs have come forward to look into using small diameter material for animal bedding, pellets or other uses. Other projects involving heat or energy production are being discussed by the three-county/ ten-member task force. The task force is made up of agency personnel, community officials, the Nederland Fire Mitigation and Forest Management Committee, the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation, McNeil Technology and interested citizens. After a recent information session on opportunities for small diameter marketing and utilization, several local individuals expressed interest in pursuing one of the many opportunities. Finding "niche markets" will be one key to success in this overall strategy. This group and the marketing and utilization effort will continue to work to address this critical challenge. Interested persons should contact Craig Jones of the Colorado State Forest Service at (303) 823-5774 for more information. A new section is now on the Winiger Ridge web site addressing small diameter marketing and utilization. Please visit the site and links on this important topic.

Project Updates & Highlights

Since the last edition, implementation has continued to move into high gear. All agencies involved as well as private landowners continue to conduct forest stewardship activities including thinning, fuels reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, noxious weed control and insect and disease control.

Project Accomplishments: 1996 - 2003

AGENCY/PROJECT

ACCOMPLISHMENT

YEAR

Winiger Gulch Prescribed Burn

340 acres

1998

Mt. Pine Beetle Control

Projectwide

2000/2001

Lazy Z -Unit 3 Thinning Initiated

15 acres

2001

Stewardship Contract #1 Awarded

145 acres

2001

Stewardship #2A Completed*

55 acres

2001

Noxious Weed Risk Assessment 

Projectwide

2000/2001

Noxious Weed Control (Pulling Only)

55 acres

1999/2001

Gross Peninsula Burn Prepared**

310 acres

2001

Aspen Enhancement/Stewardship #1

45 acres

2001

Walker Ranch Prescribed Burn

85 acres

1998

Walker Ranch Thinning(s)

225 acres

1998 - 2001

Noxious Weed Control

25 acres

1999 - 2001

Walker Ranch Fire Rehabilitation

450 acres

2000/2001

Mountain Pine Beetle Control

Propertywide

1998 - 2001

Flagstaff Mt. Prescribed Burn

25 acres

1996

Flagstaff Road Fuelbreak

5 acres

1998

E-Mesa Prescribed Burn

30 acres

1998

Lindsey Thinning

85 acres

1999-2001

Shanahan Ridge Prescribed Burn

85 acres

2000

Noxious Weed Control

25 acres

1999-2001

   Thinning/Wildlife Improvement

55 acres

1999-2001

Mt. Pine Beetle Control

Propertywide

2000-2001

Gross Dam Rd. Fuelbreak

30 acres

2001

Noxious Weed Control

20 acres

1999-2001

Walker Ranch Fire Rehabilitation

20 acres

2000/2001

Thinning Project (2)

45 acres

2003

Noxious Weed Control

16 acres

1999/2001

Crescent Meadows Prescribed Burn Plan

35 acres

2000

Crescent Meadows Fuel Break

8 acres

2001

Eldorado Trail - Dwarf Mistletoe Thin

4 acres

2001

Defensible Space Work around homes

52 homes

1998/2000

Assist on all Prescribed Burns

1996/2000

   Gross Reservoir

1125 acres

2000

   Pinecliffe Association   

275 acres   

2000

   Reynolds Ranch Prescriptions

400 acres

2000

  Properties administered   

14 properties

1996-2002

Thinning implemented

65 acres

1998-2002

Defensible Spaces implemented

31 properties

1998-2002

Homeowner Association Meetings Held

6

1999-2002

Site Visits Made

57

1998-2002

The Colorado State Forest Service and YOU
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is a branch of Colorado State University. Its mission is:
Achieve stewardship of Colorado's environment through forestry outreach and service.
It does this in a variety of ways throughout the State via their 19 districts. A key role of CSFS is to provide technical assistance to private landowners. As a non-regulatory agency that does not manage public lands, CSFS assists landowners meet their goals and objectives through education and technical assistance. We are available to meet with landowners to discuss issues pertinent to your land and offer information, advice and assistance in implementing forest management activities.
We do charge for our services. These fees are relatively low and our assistance is geared to meet your specific needs. We can also prepare a Stewardship Plan specifically for your property. These Stewardship Plans are designed to help guide landowners in the protection and management of their natural resources. For more information on how the Colorado State Forest Service may assist you, contact the Boulder District Office at (303) 823-5774.

Tungsten Mt. Project
-From Planning to Product-

While small in size, this project is a good example of several components of the Winiger Ridge Project. It represents the Good Neighbor concept in action, the Stewardship Across Boundaries theme, and the Partnership aspect of the project. It also demonstrates an important Small Diameter Marketing and Utilization piece of the puzzle. First, the partners and players of this project which include:

• Freeman-Emkhe Homeowner's Association
• U. S. Forest Service (USFS)
• Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS)
• Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department
• Boulder Ranger District Fire Crew and Americorps
• Private Contractors
• City of Boulder Wildfire Mitigation Crew

In 1999 and 2000, residents of the Freeman-Emkhe Subdivision began implementing wildfire mitigation activities around homes after several meetings and site visits with CSFS personnel.
Thinning was also to occur on adjacent National Forest System lands beginning in 2002. In order to complement the work occurring on the private land side of the fence, USFS fire and Americorps crews began thinning around homes along County Road 99 and N. Beaver Road.
Similar work will begin this spring on the north side of the subdivision utilizing the City of Boulder Wildfire Mitigation Crew. Over the winter, a private contractor will begin thinning approximately eight acres on the west side of the mountain subdivision on Boulder County lands. This will complete a fuelbreak on three sides of the community.

This past summer, the Boulder Ranger District was "in the market" for a considerable amount of buck 'n' rail fencing material for numerous projects throughout the district. Road closures, parking areas, riparian protection and trailheads were just some of the projects needing the post and pole material. Instead of purchasing this material from the local hardware stores, USFS and CSFS crews used a small ATV and log arch system to pull the lodgepole pine to the road where the material was loaded onto trailers and hauled to the USFS Work Station near Nederland. There, the pieces were made into sections to be used for fencing projects. This saved the U. S. Forest Service thousands of dollars and utilized a product resulting from local wildfire mitigation work.

Lake Shore Good Neighbor Project
-USFS/Denver Water/Private Landowners - Working Together to Make a Difference-

This spring, the Cherryvale Wildfire Mitigation Crew will begin thinning approximately 20 acres of National Forest System lands (NFS) just west of the Lake Shore Subdivision near Gross Reservoir. This will be the first Good Neighbor Project conducted on the Boulder Ranger District. Under the Good Neighbor Program, stewardship activities can be conducted on NFS lands when similar and complementary work is being implemented on the adjacent private lands. This new program is being tested only in Colorado and allows the Colorado State Forest Service to assist the U. S. forest Service implement projects of mutual benefit using the stewardship across boundaries concept. "This is an exciting tool that will allow us to implement ecosystem management activities", says Craig Jones, Interagency Project Coordinator for the Winiger Ridge Project. "Just as wildfire, insects, diseases and noxious weeds don't recognize property boundaries, mitigation and management activities should also be conducted across ownership boundaries to have a greater impact" Jones says. "It's a new program and while implementation and funding issues are still being ironed out, it really should help us manage these landscapes in a more efficient manner" say Amy Krommes, Silviculturist and Project Leader for the Winiger Project and other vegetation management efforts on the Boulder Ranger District.

The Lake Shore Project is also unique in that it combines a National Fire Plan grant obtained by the Lake Shore Community to implement wildfire mitigation activities around homes in the Lake Shore and Ratallack Gulch area. Denver Water is also a partner conducting a 20 acre thinning/fuelbreak along the south boundary of the subdivision.

Porter Ranch Units
-Local Landowners Assist in Thinning Efforts-

The Porter Ranch area is located five miles up and just north of Magnolia Road on the ridge above Boulder Canyon. Adjacent to the 160 acres of private land (approximately 20 separate parcels) lies a narrow stretch of National Forest System lands (NFS lands) covering approximately 300 acres. The area consists of a mixed conifer forest of lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. Aspen and aspen clone remnants are scattered throughout the area. Thinning is prescribed on about 140 acres in this area. Due to the smaller diameter material in this area, access constraints and fragmented ownership pattern, a number of methods are being used to complete the management work.

One of these methods is the use of local landowners and contractors. Currently, there are three contractors working on 80 acres. Two of these contractors are local landowners. The third has in-laws in the area and was attracted to the idea of helping with wildfire mitigation and forest improvement work. While not working in the Porter Ranch area, two additional contractors working in the Lazy Z area are also local landowners. Several other local residents have expressed interest in assisting in the forest improvement effort. This is important in several ways says Craig Jones and Amy Krommes - project coordinators for the Colorado State and U. S. Forest Services. "It allows us to get work done in areas not suitable for larger contractors and allows the local community to get involved", says Jones who is coordinating the work in Porter Ranch. "It also allows us to implement cooperative projects with the State Forest Service" explains Krommes - Project Leader for the federally funded project. "And it really gives them buy-in to the overall effort" she says.

2002 Wildfire Season - One to Remember

The year 2002 was tragic in many ways. In addition to the number of acres burned, it was more importantly, a year that saw the loss of 22 firefighters. The partners of the Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative express our gratitude to all those who helped during last year's wildfire season. Some of the record statistics from Colorado last year include:

• 2,012 fires/501,630 acres burned
• 384 homes lost/81,435 homes evacuated
• 18 large fire incidents
• $152 Million spent on fire suppression
• Nationally, the firefighting bill topped the 1.3 billion dollar mark set in 2000.

As the drought continues into 2003 it is important for all of us to continue doing as much as we can to improve overall forest health, reduce fuels and implement defensible space.
What can you do about the wildfire hazard around your home? What can you and your neighbors do? What can your community do? For information about reducing wildfire hazard please contact the Colorado State Forest Service, Boulder County Wildifire Mitigation Coordinator or your local Fire Protection District. You can also visit the Wildfire Mitigation web site at:

Upcoming Events and Workshops