Mountain communities keep focus on pine beetle issues

By Stephen Clearheart Johnson
North Forty News

As residents of the Red Feather Lakes area begin the annual rites of spraying for pine beetles and thinning for fire prevention, the RFL Community Library has slated an educational talk by Larimer County Forester David Lentz on June 7.

Lentz's program will cover pine beetle issues, such as identification and treatment options, and will explain county regulations. The discussion starts at 2 p.m. at the nearby Property Owners Association building and concludes at 3:30 p.m. More information is available by calling the library at 881-2664.

In the meantime, other county and Forest Service support is moving slowly.

Recently the Forest Service announced temporary closings of various campgrounds for thinning of hazardous trees and for preventive spraying of Sevin for bark-beetle control. Some 6,800 trees near campsites will be sprayed in five campgrounds starting June 2, but most closures will only be for two days. Chambers Lake campground will be closed until June 27.

In May the Forest Service held a public meeting to announce its latest fire mitigation plans for Red Feather Lakes areas. The federal agency proposes both mechanical thinning and prescribed burns to remove ladder fuels from a project area of 36,525 acres, including private, state and federal lands.

The prescribed burns will be in two areas: south of Parvin Lake and south of Creedmore Lakes. Yet, these plans are for next year's work. The process of planning, public review and contracting is a long one.

Meanwhile, Larimer County's plan to establish biomass-sorting yards to help residents treat and move out beetle-killed wood is getting underway slowly. Gary Buffington, natural resources director for the county, said that selection of the first site, near Allenspark, has entered the review and planning stage. This site will be shared with Boulder County and will probably use its air curtain burner to dispose of infested slash and logs.

Other possible sites near Chambers Lake, in Red Feather Lakes, Stove Prairie and Rist Canyon are being evaluated, but it is doubtful that they will be fully operational this summer.

"We're taking baby steps," said Buffington, partly because no one knows how much public participation to expect. Also, the Larimer County Commissioners are still working on budget proposals submitted in February, including possible fee schedules for taking materials to sort sites.

Currently the Forest Service plans no biomass utilization other than allowing firewood-harvesting permits, but there is talk of future cooperation with the county in areas where terrain allows sufficient access.