BOULDER COUNTY ECOSYSTEM COOPERATIVE

In the wake of the 1989 Black Tiger fire, it was clear that wildfire reduction was a  priority in western Boulder County forests. But there were other realizations as well, including the need for an overall, balanced ecosystem approach to the problem and the intricacies of dealing with so many different land agencies and private landowners.

In 1996, the Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative (BCEC) -- the parent organization of the Winiger Ridge Project -- was established to identify and promote innovative ecosystem restoration management opportunities. Initially, BCEC formed to address the Red Zone Wildfire Hazard Assessment, which identified mid-elevation mountain fire hazards throughout Colorado's Front Range.

However, as a consortium of environmental groups, private land owners, public land agencies and stakeholders worked through the issues they developed several more major goals for the program, including:

 

 

 

Black Tiger Fire, 1998

  

A home reduced to a pile of ashes and stone was once nestled in the trees in the foreground. Photo by Jerry Cleveland, The Denver Post

  • Sustaining ecosystem health and resilience by developing, implementing and monitoring landscape-based forest restoration practices. Those practices include: restoring ecosystems and species at risk; reducing the probability of catastrophic insect, disease and wildfire events; managing for ecologically responsible recreation on public lands; and, noxious weed eradication and control.
  • Identification and promotion of  innovative ecosystem restoration management opportunities through facilitation of partnerships and implementation of management practices across jurisdictional boundaries.
Eldorado Canyon State Park is currently conducting wildfire mitigation and noxious weed control activities. The state park just south of Boulder is a popular recreation and climbing area. The Colorado State Forest Service provides technical assistance to private landowners throughout the state. Craig Jones of the CSFS Boulder District serves as Interagency Project Coordinator. The U.S. Forest Service manages approximately 10,000 acres of public land across the project area. Ecosystem health, wildlife habitat improvement, wildfire mitigation and responsible recreation use are of primary concern to this land management agency.
Boulder County is a key partner is the ecosystem management effort, with extensive and ongoing efforts on its Walker Ranch and Reynolds Ranch open space properties. The City of Boulder provides significant support to this overall effort. The newly formed Open Space and Mt. Parks Department and the Wildland Fire Division are conducting thinning, prescribed burns and noxious weed control activities on the nearly 4,400 acres of land within the project boundaries. Denver Water owns and manages nearly 1,200 acres of property, including Gross Reservoir and the surrounding land. Primary areas of focus for  Denver Water here is wildfire mitigation and watershed health and improvement.

The Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative

(BCEC) -- the parent organization of the Winiger Ridge Project -- was established to identify and promote innovative ecosystem restoration management opportunities. A  consortium of environmental groups, private and public land owners collaborated to form goals for the BCEC.

Fire Protections Districts (FPDs)

There are five Fire Protection Districts in the Winiger Ridge Project area. These FPD's provide operational support and assist with education activities involving wildfire mitigation. The Cherryvale FPD has been involved with the project since the formation of the Boulder County Ecosystem Cooperative and is actively involved in this partnership effort

Private landowners are a key constituent to the project. In order to implement stewardship across boundaries, landowners and homeowner associations are encouraged to work with public land management agencies to improve ecosystem health and reduce wildfire hazard.