Video Introduction to Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Available

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Video Introduction to Sustainable Forest Bioenergy
The Forest Guild and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation are pleased to announce a new website presenting a series of videos about forest biomass harvest and retention guidelines.
These guidelines detail how forest biomass can be harvested and utilized for energy while protecting the habitat, soils, water, and future of the forest.
Each of the videos focuses on common questions about forest biomass harvesting guidelines from a different perspective: forest management, conservation, policy, or renewable energy production.
Landowners, foresters, loggers, policymakers, conservationists, energy producers, and others can benefit from an easy to understand guide to sustainable forest bioenergy.
The website also features a library of detailed technical guidelines for forest biomass retention and harvesting by state, region, and country.
The website was made possible through the generous support of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information, contact Zander Evans (zander@forestguild.org) or Brian Kittler ( bkittler@pinchot.org).
View the videos: forestbiomassguidelines.org

A Wildfire Message from U.S. Senator Mark Udall

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From: U.S. Senator Mark Udall Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 5:20

Subject: Be prepared for wildfire

 
    Dear Fellow Coloradan,

The wildfire season is off to an early and devastating start in Colorado. In the past few weeks, we have seen tragic fires, including the Lower North Fork Fire in Jefferson County and the Heartstrong Fire on the plains of Yuma County. And with Colorado State University climatologists estimating drought conditions in 98 percent of our state, it is even more important for Coloradans to help prevent and be prepared for wildfire. I encourage you to take these three proactive steps to protect your homes and communities from wildfire:

1.     Recreate Responsibly: Err on the side of caution. Don’t leave campfires unattended, think before doing anything that could cause a spark in the backcountry and avoid outdoor burning. Be aware of fire risk by watching for posted warnings, and take responsibility for obeying restrictions in your area.

2.     Prepare Your Property for Fire: If you live in a high-risk area, you can take precautionary steps to protect your home from fire, such as installing fire-resistant roofing and creating a safety zone around your home, including carefully storing firewood and other flammable objects. But one of the most important steps is removing leaves, pine needles and other flammable material from your home’s foundation. If you live in a wildfire-prone area, the most important yard tool is not necessarily a chainsaw; it’s a rake and a weed-whacker.

3.     Prepare in Advance for Evacuation: Hundreds of homes have already been evacuated early in this season, and it can be a harrowing process. Families can cut down on stress by building an emergency kit and making a family communications plan that ensures the safety of people and essential belongings. If you have neighbors who are elderly or have special needs, consider them in your plans too.

Last year, I requested a scientific study on the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire in Boulder County. The resulting U.S. Forest Service report lays out the factors that influenced the most expensive fire in Colorado history so that our government agencies and homeowners can better prepare for future fire emergencies. The report containssome valuable advice for Coloradans whose homes are located in areas at high risk for wildfire. Having access to good information is key to being prepared for wildfire. That’s why I am also joining Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Mike Coffman in calling for an after-action review of the Lower North Fork Fire.

Wildfire season usually starts much later in the year in Colorado, and the dry and gusty conditions that fueled both the Lower North Fork Fire and the Heartstrong fire are warning signs that it may be a very long firefighting season. Please take the time now to get ready, and stay safe this wildfire season.

Best regards,

P.S. If you live in the Wildland Urban Interface, take the Firewise Quiz:http://www.firewise.org/Information/Firewise-Quiz.aspx

Forest Management Misguided?

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In a recent article, titled, “Front Range Forest Thinning May be Misguided,” researcher William Baker and Mark Williams of the University of Wyoming indicate that “current efforts to uniformly thin Front Range ponderosa forests and reduce fire intensity may be misguided and may not restore them. Instead, the aggressive management could take even farther from the natural historic range of variability with potential negative consequences for wildlife”.

This is an important addition to the research available regarding the management of our forests; however, the scientific community has already realized that the goals of forest management just for fuels reduction and wildfire protection was not ideal.  Today, the discussions relating to forest management focus on the concept of restoration.  Forest restoration seeks to protect forests by learning from the past, and managing forests for diversity of species, resiliency to disease and insects and fire.

To view the article in the Summit County Citizens voice Click Here.

Watershed Health and Forest Management

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U.S. Forest Service and Denver Water Partner for Watershed Health. Please read this article written by Kate E. Jerman, a STEP Student in External Affairs for the Rocky Mountain Region of the US Forest Service.

STEP – The Student Temporary Assistance Program provides an opportunity for students to earn money, continue their education, train with professionals, and combine academic study with on-the-job experience.

 

About the WPHFI

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Dear Friend;

The WPHFI is wonderful partnership of key stakeholders from the Woodland Park area, and it is a great opportunity for the community and surrounding area to join in the forest protection effort. The objective of the Initiative is to thin the densely stocked ponderosa pine stands surrounding the community in order to make the area more resilient to catastrophic wildfire. These forest treatments would not only make the forest more resilient to catastrophic wildfire, but would also improve the health of individual trees, making them more resistant to bark beetle infestation, and more resilient to drought. As an additional benefit to the treatments, the Initiative is endeavoring to remove and chip as much of the forest thinning as possible, then utilize this woody biomass as a source of renewable energy. I’m excited about the prospects of what can be achieved, but the Initiative’s partners can’t do it by themselves: we need your help! We need single landowners and subdivisions to get engaged. We need a community effort! It’s a great opportunity to help our forest.

Bob Leaverton
Forest Supervisor, Pike & San Isabel National Forestsand Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands

For more information please review the Woodland Park Healthy Forest Initiative Community Wildfire Protection Plan