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Envision Chaffee County

A future built on Common Ground

Ensuring Healthy Landscapes

Leading our wildfire preparedness effort

Heavy fuel loads in our forests combine with recent warmer, drier temperatures and bigger wind events to create high wildfire risk in Chaffee County. We know this because fires are more frequent and intense.

The Envision Forest Health Council developed a long-range plan to address the risk with up to 30,000 acres of forest treatments by 2030 — an objective that would halve the risk severe wildfire poses to people, structures and natural resources. Implementation spans priority areas on 70% public and 30% private lands.

The plan uses computer modeling to map the level of risk and identify the right areas to treat for the highest cost efficiency and community benefit. In the first year, more than 1,600 acres of treatments took place while 14,000 acres of projects entered the planning pipeline. $2.6 million was raised in 2020 to support plan implementation by leveraging $1.2 million from the Chaffee Common Ground Fund. Read more about first-year accomplishments or view the plan and maps:

View the Fuel Treatment Priority map that shows where to treat for the highest cost efficiency.

Use Google Earth by downloading a link here.

Download

Read the Community Summary Booklet

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Read the Chaffee County 2020 Community Wildfire Protection Plan

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Upper Ark Forest Fund supports wildfire plan implementation

National Forest Foundation to accelerate land treatments under the Forest Health Council.

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Community is on-track to accomplish wildfire protection goals

Envision Forest Health Council outlines progress in first annual report.

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BLM completes pile burns this winter

Residents in Mount Harvard Estates, Mount Shavano areas benefit from long-term forest mitigation work.

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Envision Forest Health Council

Wildfire Plan
  • Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Park Manager Tom Waters
  • Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative Lead Forester Andy Lerch
  • Buena Vista Fire Department
  • BLM-Rocky Mountain District Manager Cathy Cook, Field Manager Keith Berger, Fire Mitigation Specialist Ed Skerjanec, Fire Management Officer Ty Webb, and John Markalunas, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Front Range Fire Management Unit
  • Chaffee County Commissioners Greg Felt and Keith Baker
  • Chaffee County Office of Emergency Management Director Richard Atkins
  • Chaffee County Fire Protection District Chief Robert Bertram and Battalion Chief Kent Maxwell
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager Jim Aragon
  • Colorado Springs Utilities: Watershed Planning Supervisor Mark Shea and Forest Program Managers Eric Howell and Jeremy Taylor
  • Colorado State Forest Service: Southwest Area Manager Damon Lange, Supervisory Forester Adam Moore, Supervisory Forester Sam Pankratz and Forester J.T. Shaver
  • Envision Chaffee County Co-Lead Cindy Williams and Project Coordinator Kim Marquis
  • Leadville Fire Protection District Fire Chief Daniel Dailey and Captains John Ortiz and Dave McCann
  • National Forest Foundation Vice President Marcus Selig
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist Joni Burr
  • Mesa Antero Water Association President Rick Hum
  • Sangre de Cristo Electric Association: Chief Executive Officer Paul Erickson, Chief Operating Officer Byron Stilley
  • USFS: Salida District Ranger Jim Pitts / Interim District Ranger Amy Titterington, Fire Management Officer Chris Naccarato, Mountain Zone Fuels Specialist Andrew White, and Leadville District Ranger Patrick Mercer
  • Xcel Energy: Community and Local Gov’t. Affairs Manager Ashley Valdez, Vegetation Management Manager Brent Bolzenious
  • Tri-State Generation & Transmission Assoc.: Planning Manager Karl Meyers, Transmission Maintenance Manager Doug Dean

“Catastrophic wildfire — Not In My Back Yard!”
– Chaffee Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Kent Maxwell

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