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Home My WebLink About20070437.tiff COIVT FOREST SERVICE Colorado State University 5060 Campus Delivery February 7, 2007 Fort Collins,Colorado 80523-5060 (970)491-6303 FAX:(970)491-7736 Fellow Coloradans: I am pleased to share with you the 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests. This year's Report includes a special section focused on the state's high-elevation lodgepole pine forests. These forests have been dramatically impacted by a record-setting mountain pine beetle epidemic which has left thousands of acres of dead trees in its wake. Tree mortality at this scale raises tremendous concern about the potential wildfire risk and economic losses to affected communities and watersheds. In addition to information on lodgepole pine forests, the 2006 Report provides an update on significant forest insect and disease activity that has occurred over the past year. For the second year in a row,researchers have recorded unexplained aspen decline across western Colorado. Aerial surveys revealed about 138,000 acres of aspen decline and mortality in 2006. Several investigations are underway to try to determine and address the cause. This year's Report also includes a full color,pull-out map showing the distribution of Colorado's major forest types as well as the location of current insect and disease outbreaks. The 2006 Report is the sixth in a series of annual publications requested by the Colorado General Assembly and written by the Colorado State Forest Service, in consultation with the Colorado Forestry Advisory Board. I encourage you to use the information in this Report to promote dialogue within your own community regarding the condition of Colorado's forests, the potential impacts of this condition and the subsequent priorities for action. If you would like additional copies of this or previous issues,please contact the Colorado State Forest Service at(970) 491-6303. The Report can also be found on the web at http://csfs.colostate.edu. Thank you for your interest in the future of Colorado's forests. Si olorado State Forester CEr1,la=ia /1,9 - 07/ - '� ca 0 .' 2--/r 2007-0437 , - ..K 4' '•f>>.,rrtrWi;..fir, Y... ,F l=l T_ ..r' t- ,• .....r ..: . ir - - —re�` `� h N---'. rae �J J r A �4 ' `.l l I!( fl.�Y. �` \I . t�., , + � fi;Sly � U i- i::6 ,,,,L .‘ „ ,, 4.: 2006 Report on the _ .., ' ti' , .aw s. Health of ''�""'' ''` Colorado's Forests fy. Special Issue: ,.. '1::: K k r�"i`' sr'tyI �"r Lodgepole Pine Forests �f 1 ,, " l ," 'k.�ti! y kt " • ,1f1,44 ! lift 1'481,`. �Q'=i ;� ua.>, elf '�"' , ",!'Tip t" I: ': X876 # t. ' ` 1 'r G• . O `- l2/--07 �(i • February 2007 It is with a sense of urgency that we present the 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests. This is the sixth in a series of reports developed by the Colorado State Forest Service with the guidance of the Colorado Forestry Advisory Board. The 2000 legislation requiring this report proved to be timely since the forests in Colorado have experienced a series of significant ecological events over the past decade, including the dramatic fire season of 2002 and the ongoing bark beetle epidemics. Each report covers the overall condition of Colorado's forests in addition to a special focus area. The 2006 report looks in depth at lodgepole pine forests and the bark beetle epidemics which continue to grow over hundreds of thousands of acres, killing trees and affecting communities throughout the state. Beetle-killed forests reduce scenic values, impact the economy, increase fire danger, and are therefore a major concern for many Coloradans. The dead and dying trees do not need to be a story with a sad ending. Rather, the situation can be a call-to-action for residents and lawmakers, providing an opportunity to shape the "next forest." Long-term forest Color moeforestryAdvisory stewardship efforts can increase forest resilience and diversity and help protect Board Members our communities and the critical natural resources that Coloradans depend on Don Ament and enjoy. Commissioner of Agriculture Ed Redente Thank you for your interest in Colorado's forests. Dean, Warner College of Sincerely, Natural Resources Colorado State University 0fY1n N`-� Tom Borden Private Landowner (V\ Fort Colorado Collins. Colorado Nancy M. Fishering Nancy Fishering Chairperson, Colorado Forestry Advisory Board Colorado Timber Industry Association Russell George Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources Doug Robotham Trust for Public Land Tom Stone Commissioner, Eagle County 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests N • a t r =s ,, Table of Contents S gt 4,4 Y t m Executive Summary I f:r 4 . Colorado's Forests: How Did We Get Here? 3 � �' it �� Managing for the Next Forest 4 -' 2 ' ;$4-,:,,,,,,,.. :, Insect and Disease Activity Update 6 y ,- :''' 4; ;;.,,,1,,„ 4'"' Special Section: Lodgepole Pine Forests 9 3 err Areas of Lodgepole Pine Management 20 st f ' Conclusion 22 References and Additional Reading 23 Map of Colorado's Forests foldout after page 24 Map of Colorado Forest Insects and Diseases in 2006 foldout after page 24 Acknowledgements inside back cover 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests - • • Executive Summary t, x i >_ Forests are of great value to all 'pi r/ Coloradans and have regional and national importance as well. They + l provide beautiful views, world- class skiing, forest products, wildlife habitat, and clean, plentiful water. Streams flowing from Colorado's forests contribute to the state's water- dependent economy and that of 18 other states and Mexico. f ' However, many of Colorado's forests r # r m are old, crowded, weakened by drought and very susceptible to forest insects, Mountain pine beetle populations diseases, and wildfires. Their ability have exploded into Colorado's most to sustainably produce a full range of severe outbreak on record. In 2006, public benefits is compromised because more than 650,000 acres (over 1 ,000 they are not as healthy or resilient as square miles) were infested with they could be. Mountain pine beetle and mountain pine beetle. The landscapes wildfire are shaping Colorado's forests and high-value resort areas of Grand, and, without forest management, will Routt, Summit, Eagle and Jackson continue to determine how these forests counties are the most affected. Damage look and function in the future. caused by the mountain pine beetle epidemic re-emphasizes the need to proactively manage for diverse and .11!,f healthy forests. Most of the mountain pine beetle activity is located at the headwaters t • of Colorado's drinking water supply, which is also used for irrigation o h` "* and snowmaking. Many other ay. western states also depend on this }a any t.a water. While intense fires occurred " historically in these areas, today • they have far-reaching economic and Lodgepole pine forests, which grow environmental impacts. abundantly in Colorado's mountains, are the focus of this year's report. These Record-breaking temperatures and high-elevation forests provide the setting high-risk forest conditions across the where people ski, hike, bike and ride West contributed to the largest wildfire off-road vehicles and horses. Currently, season in the nation since 1960, vast expanses of beetle-killed trees are when wildfire recordkeeping began. In bringing this backdrop to the forefront Colorado, over 90,000 acres burned, with of people's attention. many fires occurring earlier than normal. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests P V:r `' ` ( ;yY yry 1 .Xt`�q y�j r .st.r r ti, l,�/' ,y Yt r w ��"7i J' a EIY iT M .♦ .�. '17,..',..44;* ♦�...l.N ♦ ,' _,Ii ,N y[7q ,Ii,Yn /11,1 r ri r - or •-'. Wildfire hazard i reduction efforts and clean-up of dead trees from the — A mountain pine beetle s — , li et a epidemic have cost »' ,._ _ Colorado landowners Wildfire Hazard from Beetle-kill millions of dollars. Fire managers are concerned about the huge swaths of dead trees and the fire hazard because: • Dead, dry trees catch on fire and burn more easily than wet, green trees. • Fires become extremely hard to control when there are large accumulations of dead wood on the ground. • When dead and downed logs burn they can cause soil damage and impact watersheds. • After the dead trees have fallen and a new forest is growing, there is more fuel than before. This arrangement of surface and standing fuels can feed more destructive wildfires. • Wildfires would put citizens and firefighters at risk in many high country communities0 The Mato Vega fire burned Fire ecologists predict that if current over 73,000 acres south of the warming temperature trends continue, Great Sand Dunes National Monument in June. fires throughout the nation will become even more frequent and active. Some contend that these changes have already begun. oThose who own forest land or influence how it is managed have *e �. the opportunity today to shape what Colorado's forests will look like o �' ,� tomorrow. Forests can be managed . 4 sustainably for a wide variety of public benefits and values. Clean ET ',tic ° water, recreation opportunities, wood products, habitat for wildlife, and safer.404 communities all add to the quality iof life in Colorado. To achieve these goals, the entire landscape, including cc �"' -- communities, must be considered. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests , ., ,I J n. '• ,, . , , .; ,,..„.Colorado's Forests: How Did We Get Here? Colorado's forests are disturbance r w dCy driven; they are dependent upon changeit -. _ �IP for maintenance and renewal. Fires, ,, _ , ., insect and disease outbreaks, and f{ t - ' si � ' forest management can add diversity 4R h i e ! yr. 1. . �h ":^ t e and resilience to forest stands or bring :,:::,1,-;4'''. o about entirely new forests from old t �� ones. However, many of Colorado's old t : n forests have not recently experienced * . al , disturbance because of fire suppression i and very little tree cutting. t , . . Fire suppression has arguably had a greater impact on Colorado's forests t .. x than any other human action. 4 - r From 2000-2004, a severe drought occurred that further weakened �"' 4 Colorado's old, crowded forests. The ;ter c'-' drought was not an anomaly, but a In 2002,fires in Colorado naturally recurring process. Future or other disturbance. A forest that is burned over half a million dry periods will also weaken forests dense with growth can burn hotter and acres and cost over 5152 mand influence wildfires. While forest create precarious conditions for people, of theselion fsuppresredint of these fires occurred in the managers cannot impact the weather, property, and the environment. state's old,fire-dependent they can improve forest conditions What the next forests look like, and forests where conditions by reducing competition for sunlight, the benefits they produce, will depend were worsened by d ought. nutrients and water. on actions that are taken now. Without Drought is a recurring natural proactive management, wildfires, insects and other forces will continue to event that will continue to weaken shape Colorado's forests. The resulting forests and exacerbate wildfires. It is landscapes may not meet society's important that Colorado's forests are desires and needs and could be even as vigorous and resilient as possible to less appealing than those created by the current mountain pine beetle epidemic. mitigate future landscape-sized insect outbreaks and wildfires. • Ironically, excluding Forest Growth Colorado's Forest Harvest 80 Million Board Feet wildfire from the landscape The growth of all of the trees in the state is to protect life and property called Colorado's net annual forest growth. P P y About 596 of Colorado's net annual forest actually resulted in forest growth is harvested each year.This does not -- conditions that often make include the trees'wood that existed before wildfires more dangerous, the annual growth.It is akin to withdrawing interest from a savings account.If only 5%of costly and intense. Trees the annual interest is taken out,the"principal" and the continuetogrow. Colorado's Annual grow every year, and can Net Forest Growth become very crowded 1.5 Billion Board Feet 4 without fire, tree cutting 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests 4 I may' �� •b. .. Maria i in • for the Next Forest Current forest conditions in Colorado , -k.,;-; ,,t s m, av ,t demand that all relevant stakeholders , proactively work together to improve forest health and protect communities from wildfire. About a million people live in six million acres of Colorado's high fire hazard forests. In Colorado, there are 22.5 million acres of forest land. It is neither economically feasible nor even desirable t.. t to treat all of this land. Factors such as visual quality, forest diversity, ',I Elegant Homes '"' f "y, minimizing runoff, and road density I; Xeres eft all must be considered in deciding f ,R& d . where and how to manage. It is critical \mak & A 2 ' ,,oJ, t that the relatively small percentage of Real lsta�rson „ �a,jµ 'f • ---1•; •AEf �4 I M.-, +a1'��j.e .ii 1� _. .'a .' - Real estate agents in Summit County are now ' t.. '. a . including mountain pine beetle in their disclosure Yom; '''s�,'":'V ,y rac r reports to property buyers. Y / � � � ;� .= �� , �� Colorado's forests that can be managed •'��"t`. ' ' t' +F is strategically located to provide social C�� • ._; .:.._- and ecological benefits. ' Forest management is a commitment ,� , .3c . , over time, not a one-time fix. ,., •a two Y ay ,.tA'.}N'.N r+44. . tl i \Y'•, To make forest management I' ' s ' _ • . • n decisions, it is important to consider ;, r -, ", z,; what the individual landowners need - ��t _ (community scale) as well as what the r landscape needs (ecosystem scale). ' ts Coloradans benefit from management Thinning and harvesting forests improves growing of both. conditions by making more light,nutrients,and At the community scale, protection moisture available. of life and property is the top priority. Other values may include privacy, scenic views, watersheds, and wildlife observation. Around homes and in ij 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests s h, K 'rp� TE- dM�r - 11P. '- '7. ,-4-,:v7,7,4‘4 6' i 1 � 4 yc subdivisions, it is not as critical that Maintaining diversity in landscapes can forest management techniques mimic help retain areas of older forests ecological processes to achieve these Research shows that thinning. objectives. By protecting themselves commercial timber harvesting and from wildfire, communities also help prescribed burning can make forests • prevent firefighter injuries and reduce more resilient, and reduce the adverse financial burdens to fellow taxpayers for effects of wildfires and insect and fire suppression costs. disease epidemics. For maximum On the ecosystem scale, a mix of effectiveness, these activities must forests with species and age diversity, be implemented across ownership meadows, and riparian vegetation can boundaries at a landscape scale and result in a more resilient landscape. continued over time. How Can People Manage for the Next Forest? • Adding diversity to forests can provide a kind of insurance policy against future large-scale multi-landscape disturbance events. t • Thinning around homes and communities helps reduce fire risk in communities and watersheds. • Creating naturally-shaped openings in lodgepole pine forests over time reintroduces age and spatial diversity. • Removing conifers from aspen stands provides excellent wildlife habitat and helps prolong aspen on the site. • Thinning and creating openings in ponderosa pine forests improves vigor in remaining trees, enabling them to better resist damage from wildfire, insects and disease. • Maintaining forests over time helps keep them resilient. • ( ;',* !B .1 dr "- - . Lodgepole pine forests with age diversity,pictured above,are more resilient to insects and wildfire. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests lit w- . y r ,' . ,. Insect and Disease Activit U • date' . lr. The continued infestation and mortality of forests from bark beetle outbreaks dominated the news with regard to insect and disease activity in Colorado during 2006. Both mountain pine beetle and spruce beetle continue to turn high country forests from green to red, a trend that is being repeated to `' '3•., a lesser extent in the Front Range. In r -.. ' 1 `�ai .. ' western Colorado, the persistent aspen _ _ _:_,.....- �rr�".�.�.r.�,;. _r r. .._— y -.r,� cc die-off continues to puzzle researchers. Mountain Pine Beetle _ Colorado is experiencing the largest The green trees in the foreground are too young to outbreak of mountain pine beetle in its provide mountain pine beetle afood source. recorded history. In 2006, this forest There is concern that the vast insect infested over Mountain Pine Beetle-Northern Colorado populations of mountain pine beetle Infestation in Lodgepole Pine 2006 660,000 acres in the _ state, up from 500,000 ___ will spread from ole 9 Pnorth-central Colorado ;� acres in 2005. There were to the Front Range. Overcrowded Front ,-„:!',.,,,:r..... IARNER about four times as many Range forests are indeed in the early - W ld•• t stages of a slower-growing mountain recently killed trees per ac 4 JACKSON pine beetle epidemic, although ' acre in 2006 than 2005. _.- ----. r.�ao•n� Mountain pine beetle their insect populations are growing ��„ - is killing pine trees independently from those of the high a. country. , . throughout the West. .. , 'i. 'ii ' Additional information about e�°c :w <o t e u - The unusually large and � GRANo intense outbreaks are mountain pine beetle can be found in a spreading further north the Lodgepole Pine Agents of Change RNa° v4 a� section on page 14. and in higher elevations 1"•q !',,{w than seen before. In Spruce Beetle °`�5iEAc Canada, the epidemic Because they primarily affect ®_ Y 01- -4, CLEA %. , is far more intense and more remote high-elevation forests, ' ,, � ` , extensive than anything Colorado's current spruce beetle A � , " ° CSI ' . i previously witnessed by outbreaks are not as well known as RARN .: R�rK�R. , PuKE _,mow, forestry officials. the mountain pine beetle epidemic. miLOCIPPOSr„ M ----;se.a•undeY AIM MM, NI MoanIn=",e.•tb The current epidemic However, older Engelmann spruce iJ County started in Colorado's high forests near Carbondale, South Fork, 4 A.n.I Survey Area. CIO.. ll M- country in the mid-1990s. and from Steamboat Springs north to Red areas represent varying When the drought of the Wyoming border have experienced degrees of mortality. 2000-2004 occurred, it enabled beetle extensive mortality from spruce beetles. populations to rapidly expand in both The northern Colorado activity resulted infested and new areas. from a large spruce forest blowdown in 'Acres and tree mortality estimates in this section were derived from the 2006 aerial survey of insects and diseases in Colorado-For bark beetles. the survey quantifies the areas that were infested in 2005 and turned red in 2006. It if does not include the green trees that became infested in 2006 as these are not discernible from airplanes. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests • \y af #•rl t Y T 44 L . ;»x 1997 at the Routt National Forest. About 68,000 acres were infested in 2006- Although this is less than the 119,000 acres infested in 2005, the reduction is partially due to previous years' activity which has left few live spruce trees to infest. 7 Ii In recent years, warmer . temperatures have changed the spruce beetle's life cycle from two years to one, i y 117? a allowing them to spread more quickly. Via. -. This bark beetle is also affecting other + ,p Jj w '• ' ' 1` 1��" ; ya lr r � ,aR 24 western states. Utah has experienced } { : extensive spruce mortality in recent Py ;, I1 �r :. V'?*t years, and Wyoming is currently in the � s "� q .7 midst of an outbreak in the advanced t• • • I r stages. In Colorado, this epidemic is �:u changing the face of today's old spruce forests. In some of Colorado's aspen Aspen Decline forests,mature trees are For the second year in a row, dying without new,younger trees growingroreplace unexplained aspen decline occurred them. .% in western Colorado. Despite many on-site inspections, experts have not xr, determined what is killing the trees and 41.,!4their root systems. Common culprits such as animal grazing and conifer encroachment are not responsible for this ongoing die-back. About 138,000 acres of aspen decline and mortality were observed from 2006 aerial survey flights. The extent of dying roots is unknown. Researchers are currently designing an investigation that will attempt to determine specific symptoms and causes. If aspen root systems are unable . ;#4)-1r-- to to produce new aspen suckers, aspen t . d ` clones that have existed for millennia "r will be lost. Preliminary assessments a w have shown many different causal agents, from decay fungi to aspen bark With the large areas of standing dead trees,officials beetles, in different areas. In some are concerned about future threats of falling trees to roads,trails,powerlines,buildings and cases, the decline is occurring on low- campgrounds. elevation, marginal aspen sites. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests kx•, ' F a 17 e�. . . th1'f y r i, r,. 2 V. 1 In the southern Front Range, pinon s*� � �- ips increased. Over 19,000 acres were infested with pinon ips in 2006, "f' much of which was south and west of / Q s,> _ Colorado Springs. '� Western Spruce Budworm a! '1 Western spruce budworm outbreaks can cause heavy defoliation that .=' - . . weakens or kills Douglas-fir, true fir and a =r a P^-al t.A. I. spruce trees. About 93,000 acres were � �" --� F _. infested statewide in 2006. This insect 1. -- r -• t has infested large areas on the eastern i.•�-f m s -i: n. slopes of the Culebra Range south of La Veta Pass and on the northern Cll q `- , +11 t. ` =' i slopes of the Spanish Peaks. A hot year ' a� -tom - exacerbated western spruce budworm c cc ;� . _ ,,,., . infestations at the Uncompahgre Mountain pine beetle in National Forest, where defoliation Grand County. Subalpine Fir Decline continues in both subalpine-fir and Decline of subalpine fir is attributed Engelmann spruce, with a three-fold to western balsam bark beetle, root increase from 2005 in Engelmann diseases and other unknown factors. spruce defoliation. This decline is found sporadically Fir Engraver Beetle throughout Colorado's high-elevation Archuleta and La Plata counties in forests. More than 370,000 acres were southwestern Colorado experienced affected by subalpine fir decline in an increase in fir engraver beetles. 2006. Near Telluride, there are concerns These beetles have killed many white about wildfires due to the large areas firs that were first weakened by root of standing dead trees on steep slopes disease. The scenario is a classic result surrounding the town. of fire suppression as white firs have Pinon Iris proliferated in areas where they would The major pinon pine mortality from have been burned by periodic natural pinon ips that peaked in 2003 continues fires. to subside in southwest Colorado. This is due to both increased moisture and lack of live pinon trees. Infestations on the Uncompahgre Plateau and Glade Park are still active, although areas that received more moisture appear to be recovering. 14 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests • Lod i e • ole Pine Overview I #v Lodgepole pine is a widespread tall, 8 to 12 inches Lodgepole Pine Vegetation species, growing throughout the Rocky in diameter, 130 r---- I Mountain and Pacific Coast regions. This years old and has a f report will focus on the Rocky Mountain 160-year life span. ' 0,, variety found in Colorado. The oldest known tt a Most of today's lodgepole pine lodgepole pine in — ' 7 `- ?oe„Je, forests regenerated after widespread Colorado is over - ' / fires and some logging activity in the 350 years of age. i , mid to late 1800s and early 1900s. As Lodgepole pine - a result, many of these forests are filled primarily grows L _ t� '..r-f\_ I with trees of roughly the same age, from in pure, dense, — ti"\ -,,,,, J 100 to 150 years old. even-aged stands r- 1 ,l �� but is sometimes =St'"�°d Relatively few new stands have L-----Z----I_____., _l_ l_ ryeou,dn mixed with A „,„ p become established since the turn other conifers. of the twentieth century, leaving It overlaps with I very little age diversity in Colorado's ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir at the lodgepole forests. low end of its elevation range and with m.4 Engelmann spruce and sub-alpine hr at vinip Lodgepolepine's tall, straight and with 4 ,4 g its upper limits. It also competes wi ,I „ .�* r"1 �r ,. ..„,,:r.4 strong wood makes it valuable for a aspen in many locations. Like aspen, .-,-,: .,,r}§,.,,- ai . . variety of uses, from rustic fences to lodgepole pine is shade intolerant and commercial timber. The lodgepole grows best in full sunlight, often on pine forest type provides breathtaking northern and eastern slopes. mountain views and recreational Lodgepole pine is one of the most ladeds opportunities. Many of Colorado's aggressive and hardy of western germinate er inateanes survive premiere ski destinations, including batlnesharsds�tve forests. It has an amazing potential to 6esttnolrprsh,uposed Winter Park and Vail, are located in environnuM. lodgepole pine forests. By providing habitat for elk and y yt 1 deer, these forests also contribute }deer, many rural economies during fall hunting seasons. In Colorado, hunting �� I •t, and fishing is a $1 .6 billion industry. High-elevation forests, including i�I i• +r' r lodgepole pine, also provide habitat for lynx, a federally listed threatened _ ,` � species. `' Characteristics and Ecology • , l Lodgepole is a two-needled pine that ..— grows at elevations from about 8,000 . ;,. to 10,500 feet. Mature trees have a very .k o straight trunk, a narrow crown, and no ! - lower branches. The average lodgepole ',h, - 3 0 pine in Colorado is about 40 to 80 feet 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests tr ."7 1r 'fit„ V hf litik1 n' y yip ' 't a g- a 1r er Wildfire has been the primary regenerating force for Colorado's ` i +(' I 0 r.* 3i:, i. lodgepole pine. Historically, wind-driven ' il i r i ( i "i 4.:46: crown fires up to tens of thousands of 0, ,(• .t € ) k '• ! ,,'W..,;:., acres would kill the entire forest canopy s ' h I `, " /- y I .. t ; i,,a and expose bare mineral soil, providing iii {. i >t>, t I ;# . ' t ' , �, 1 an optimal seedbed. a�• ,, , , ,rl, -- t lr ,l Lodgepole pine's cones have a i,4," r :- 1 r'; : noteworthy adaptation to wildfire that _� ;� F ---1-0 ; ; has helped propagate the species. The 1 . + _. ,I =-- ,1 ' r , { serotinous, or closed, cones have resin 4 a ` .y1, t, that holds seeds and protects them Wail-; ` * ,. `- oI ,1 Li I • 1 l during wildfires. This provides an aerial ` seedbank that is viable for decades. t "417 _ (34F �` i aivi. '' o r t'� ` :_,..A.,:.:.. ...5 ,,,,,,,,,: Fire's heat melts the resin, opening the _ cones and releasing their seeds where �� _ they can grow in full sunlight. Within s +. 't -.i 'kt • several years after a fire, a carpet of x e '"' "` z'. '25 ` - seedlings will re-establish lodgepole Stagnated iodgepok pine pine in the burned area. This natural stands aresometimes pioneer and invade disturbed sites and regeneration process can be similarly referred to as ioghoirr meadows. achieved with a timber harvest. because they are thick and dense like hair on a dog. The Life Cycle of Lodgepole Pine Wildlife Associated with Lodgepole pine has rapid early Lodgepole Pine growth and abundant seed production. The species is sometimes said to "live Plant and animal diversity is usually fast and die young" because it grows low in mature lodgepole pine stands, vigorously at first and then naturally but these dense forests provide cover overcrowds itself. It is usually killed by for elk, deer and bears as well as for wildfire or mountain pine beetle before squirrels and other small mammals. Lodgepole pine is an upper- it reaches 150 years of age. Richer flora and fauna are associated montane forest. with young lodgepole forests. Alpine tundra Elk Elk need security cover or screening 11,500 wj is High elevation forests of lodgepole pine.. spruce and fir the base of trees. An aggressively 11.000 thinned 20- to 40-year old lodgepole 10 c00 A Mid-elevation forests and woodlands of stand is good elk habitat because ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir individual tree canopies remain full. 9000 1 The animals will also use older, dense 11 Low elevation woodlands and forests lodgepole stands for cover, especially 6,000 of ponderosa pine,pinyon pine and juniper 1 1 where there are nearby meadows with ici 1 r.000 " grass to eat. Forest openings of 10 to 30 u - `� Shortgrasssteppe acres are optimal for elk, providing both 6,000 o cover and feeding areas. 9.000 4 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests •• • ;y 1 .,...`474. ,p °'. e + r.. R� + C M ::�i a ^. .4 Why Are Colorado's Lodgepole Pine Forests so Uniformly Aged? 1%,,,,,k, c1iA t J From the mid-1800s to early I 900s, wildfires burned in many of Colorado's lodgepole pine forests. In 1851 alone, wildfires burned thousands of acres in what • J �•y; is today Rocky Mountain National Park. At around the same time, timber harvesting and some prospecting fires further changed the landscape. The subsequent .\ regeneration led to today's vast swaths of 100- to 150-year old forests. These mature , lodgepole pine forests, even those that have not been killed by forest insects, are g very susceptible to wildfire. _" .4 C Acres Lodgepole pine's closed cones remain on trees and 160,000 release seed after a fire or timber harvest.Aim140,000 120,000 M1 100,000 80,000 •Years Old 60,000-- 40,000-' 20,000-/ • 0-' 0 -20 21 -40 41 -60 61 -80 81 -100 100 + ... { ,,, is Lynx and Snowshoe Hare branches reaching the snowline can Colorado is in the most southerly provide this cover and food source. As edge of snowshoe hare habitat and thus lodgepole pine forests mature, they Ili : Canada lynx range. Although spruce/fir self-prune their lower branches, and no forests are preferred by these animals, longer provide enough cover or food to young lodgepole pine forests can support the hare. In unmanaged forests, f o o vast majority of Colorado's lodgepole provide suitable habitat. Lynx is on the 20- to 40-year old lodgepole pine stands pine forests are old,suitable state's endangered species list and is can meet snowshoe hare's habitat stands for snowshoe hare federally listed as threatened. requirements. If thinned when young, habitat are rare. Snowshoe hare eat buds, including lodgepole pine forests can provide those of lodgepole pine, for a large part critical food and cover for far longer of their diet. They also need security than unmanaged stands. cover from birds of prey. Trees with 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests t I • I C 'i}+ ' r3 ,' r'< ttl � 1"? -1' , ' "':mttk Pine Marten outcrops break up forest fuels, and thus " � Where they mix with spruce/fir, lodgepole pine fires did not typically older lodgepole pine forests provide grow as large as those in Oregon, , ,; -' habitat for pine marten, a mammal in California and Wyoming. '' the weasel family. The pine marten is an There were extensive fires in :, 4,-7-t T i . old forest obligate; it needs older forests Colorado's lodgepole pine forests in the 4 with downed logs for its habitat. second half of the 1700s and the second half of the 1800s. Despite this pattern, I-7 . ,- �i; Agents of Change Colorado's high elevation lodgepole pine g; The interactions of mountain pine and spruce/fir forests have been known _ beetle, diseases, and wildfire add as "asbestos forests," because in recent '_ ''4V' ' complexity to the seemingly simple memory they have rarely burned. N " ! i lodgepole pine forest ecosystem. .w 4s�,{�r'3-s�« When subjected to lightning, an older Wildfire 9mwn ° forest with dead and down wood is willow andatiSt ittitst Stand replacing crown fires are an lodgepolephke ts*IT integral part of lodgepole pine forests. more likely to catch fire and burn hiding cover. young with less woody fires consume an entire forest, than Y 9forest making room for the next generation of material. trees to grow. Colorado's lodgepole pine forests However, wildfire in lodgepole pine forests is always a very real threat that have historically burned about every 100 to 300 years, with forests in the highest grows increasingly likely the longer it has been since Fires burned. Colorado's elevations burning less frequently. In lodgepole pine forests are already laden Colorado, these large fires ranged from with fuel, and if warming temperature Fires in lodgepole several hundred to tens of thousands of trends continue, this fuel will become pine typically burned acres. The state's topography and rocky thousands of acres of forest at a time. Lodgepole Pine Crown Fire Ponderosa Pine Surface Fire These naturally intense fires can 14.tip' threaten mountain y y Y� communities, I a ^�� '�fAll% , whether or not ;5' '�"`' surrounding forests have been killed by ,- 4r ; mountain pine beetle. OA t . `''4' - cz t cc V c v While most fires in ponderosa pine historically burned on the forest floor,lodgepole pine fires naturally burn as a crown fire.Crown fires burn in the forest canopy,spreading from treetop to treetop.These wind-driven fires often occur in the driest conditions and are almost impossible to control. I2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests P fw , n a w1 _a1. � Y k a t i # 33 air i.r $, ,� rr ' , r • ,tt y The Aftermath of Wildfires In the four years following srt the 2002 Hayman Fire, '^aaa s yt-� � . . wg ` the Denver Water Board - c 'l r te ' U' . has spentover$7.8 ' l 4_,-:.' i - ., 4:4**'`r L _ r - million to remove debris, ±1= 9' replace culverts,build ' sediment dams,stabilize _ slopes,and improve 4. :* water quality.Additional x.. • sediment removal from Strontia Springs,one of Denver's reservoirs,will cost many additional millions of dollars.These expensive efforts include - .,G. `� combating effects from the ., - 7996 Buffalo Creek Fire, _ ..--. v . . which burned in the same yl - watershed. ` 0 S u v very dry making fires almost certain. - :� ,wy t The effects of these intense fires on life. �' ;f li w 'i' p' property, and water supplies can be • 4�. - 4'• y costly in many ways. 4, I a� . One of the most intense types of . wildfires in lodgepole pine forests can I occur when a growing forest has a large X t �i " '% it li g g g 1 k. •,� a l z, '! } , '4, I I Ir build-up of logs lying on the ground. +' w ail, r 6 .,7‘. a �; !f v.: Digging fire line through downed logs r: � 4 ' ..- „; 4-t , noel y , , • I is arduous, making the fire hard to W `` 9,,..7---- -- control. Heavy fuels can increase a t - � wildfire's severity and result in damage -- - M- iv to soil and watersheds, depending on summer rains and snowmelt following the fire. Cleaning up drinking water ', x' reservoirs after these intense fires can �- , ` - _ • y ' . cost millions. Fire intensity in lodgepole pine is its most extreme in forests with fallen logs. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests lit‘ t , 'j Mountain Pine Beetle 4;..- tr n Mountain pine beetles are the most O"....1m' ` A I Es 4,.. V.,44,"0 aggressive insect affecting mature pines „. § r". '''` in western North America. Within a year ,� , 7'% 4-,..r,,, of successful attack, the infested tree is ti r k4 1Fr .,,/- dead, and the next generation of beetles ,". �� " flies to new host trees a ` ax okay 'i '` Mountain pine beetles are always ` Salk• ', present in Colorado's pine forests, i _ normally attacking weak and injured .r � y4 : mature trees. However, when forest , r ' • � _ and weather conditions are suitable ,` for population growth, large outbreaks - _ - can occur. This may happen about every 10 to 30 years. During epidemics, one attacked tree may produce • enough beetles to attack multiple trees • . the following year, resulting in an - ^; exponential increase in dead trees. Beetles attack green trees, where , .� they chew through the bark to lay .'� :n'� eggs. The eggs hatch, eat the tree's a ,• y - '` -. inner bark, and infect the tree with '' °, . .-4.-:-.0,...- 4 �s 4- Stand Conditions Susceptible to Mountain Pine Beetle r^ ' ff;t' ..1-.,‘" . - • Trees at least 80 years old 3 • Trees at least 8 inches wide (pictured, right) �. I • Crowded stands 1 . {µ • Many old trees in a stand • Many trees in the stand that are over a foot wide i ` n i \. ., AYE nom :1.'".,e, ----1,:-,...,..1/4,y. ice' ��... ..iS `4 >. ..> 4 Y N 1 I III2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests y a- .rte •— *;� ~"Ae k"t+r t t; _ " aS.: ,y. f ,e f � �' 4 i is ""1; } �" i* f , r 0� r , Y microorganisms, including a distinctive frlo t blue-stain fungus. which eventually e, ° ' K �` rx blocks the tree's water movement. The !..9t - ' ' tree's needles won't turn red until the dye y I, 1 following spring and summer. It is about �� x 3 this time that the next generation of Oke' .:• a beetles exits its dead host tree and flies y1 s 1 �y ' n. • 1. to reproduce in living trees. $ i Mountain pine beetles in ColoradoJ�!', �; ' • have crossed an elevational threshold "r .� that has not been seen before. Until c the recent warmer weather, mountain ; �' to pine beetles have not been able to � - x , u ` 1 withstand the cold temperatures a" :* above 9,500 feet. But at the Mountain pine beetle in USDA Forest Service's Fraser larval stage. 9 ` .m.2. o Experimental Forest (elevation � }�Y •' :, 9,000-12,800 feet), some of s 't _ Colorado's oldest lodgepole pine >>1� trees are now being killed by k z V tl these beetles. Although these �= 4'e `f'Ft ay° ! stands have been at a susceptible } � �.p.` f.•4' ' age for over two centuries, they When pine trees Ly„ - .k have not been impacted by reach eight inches ; � ` la 1. . a'J's� mountain pine beetle until the in diameter, as ` � °I. ': current outbreak. shown here, they + ,; s Mountain pine beetle is a r "� �t are large enough for y significant cause of fuel buildup g g in lodgepole pine forests and can mountain pine beetle .--+-7- w•. :: , , _ result in very intense fires. Initially, to successfully infest. ', ' ` a' • ...' ` 4 . the dead, dry needles on a tree can eta, It takes lodgepole catch fire easier and spread the fire pine trees at least . more quickly than green needles . with more moisture. After 10 or 15 80 years to grow to N. years, beetle-killed trees will fall and this size. can burn very intensely. 4 4 i2, 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests rr i 1 Pfd. H 'k rl r••_ ety•. i • sit `.: . .. 'L. .. . v.?i/ 1. L . . yy 1 � p55 F'I i P 1, ale , fir: a landscape. Management techniques t • include thinning of young forests, W� 4 .•' cutting large openings in the mature b ' '��:fit forest to create a e and s anal diversit e = , g P y, -,',1,-t'417.7,-..,.--17103a, and allowing naturally ignited fires to 47: • K ,.,< �, '�,'-...iiir � . burn. It is important to understand what I outcome is desired prior to outlining a -_ _ _ forest management strategy. 1I • n2 " ' t'.. -, Despite its relatively small diameter, € �` '" •,,,,-.j.:•:91-'7•7-9, lodgepole pine can grow large enough , 1',. ' + " ; for commercial timber. Its thin bark, '� " ' .. ` coupled with its straight form, gives the I ! ._ •,::� .--• _ •.trir ,;,', tree a higher volume of wood for its ON r+1t• • y �' i+; diameter and height than many other < > ith :.,- �, �.•• trees. ._-,,- - a `` ,,'.,�is Lodgepole pine can be sustainably "` .2461'• '''t.t produced and can play an important • role in local economies. It is a species t that is easily managed and responds ' wk/dpiotkeddrt` Dwarf Mistletoe well to forest treatments. Despite its Dwarf mistletoe is the most blitetiediter they are dead ' many potential benefits and uses, far bd9ePakP damaging disease agent to the pine bossy;notoriously shallow mots vAil species, causing severe growth loss, tree - give out and trees will Pose deformity and increased tree mortality. r- a safety risk to skiers and It is widespread in lodgepole pine of boarders. all ages, but its effects build over time. Dwarf mistletoe weakens the trees' resistance to mountain pine beetle as "'t"'' WI iy well as contributes to fuels for future fires. Dwarf mistletoe infection leads to: - - - • Abnormal branching and "witches' brooms" • Tree mortality by increasing trees' susceptibility to other damaging agents • Decrease of host trees' seed production • Losses in wood production and quality Lodgepole Pine Management Management activity in lodgepole o pine forests can reduce fire risks to 6 homes and communities, produce r. I commercial wood products and Different aged forest stands can provide visual restore diversity and resilience across variety in an otherwise homogeneous landscape.lit 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests R � tlt - . Fk rs 4r d _ t • N • e- fi. +]lam - y.• t I Y. r k : more lodgepole pine is being killed by mountain pine beetle than is currently Forest Products from Lodgepole Pine harvested for either forest products or fire risk reduction. Although Colorado • Telephone poles • House logs uses over 1.1 billion board feet of • 2 x 4s • Log furniture and railing lumber every year, only about 7% of • Fencing • Tongue and groove paneling that is harvested in the state. • --'j 8 � !t q ° `A ral •I ood vy Some reasons why mountain pine beetle killed trees are not commercially S _ in-demand include: 0.• , - • Beetle killed lodgepole pine trees deteriorate and lose their value as i'� ,n'-' ■ o 00 lumber very quickly. i -. -. • The bluestain fungus introduced by the beetle discolors the wood. z Although this doesn't affect the strength of the wood, the staining is a visual defect that lowers its timber Lodgepole Pine: Part of Colorado's History value. In the late 1800s, • Small, local mills are at their capacity much of Colorado's - _` " to process the large available volume demand for railroad ties of logs. was supplied in lodgepole ' • Dead logs weigh less than live ones, pine forests. Men would - and loggers selling by weight may not hand-fell and hand-hue - make enough money to haul dead the railroad ties, skid logs to distant mills. them by horses with • There may not be enough awareness sleds, and stack them by to create a demand for Colorado streambanks to later be y ___ wood products. i r•` , sent downriver. a _______L Isolated yet self- ' a + sufficient communities �.�' Thinking globally /rte and buying wood of l tie camps" dotted 1 • �7 locally not only Colorado's river valleys �_ provides local jobs, it from about 1870 to 1930, r• r1 reduces the pollution especially in the Summit � generated by shippingCounty and Leadville i.,_`^ cotoan areas. Cabins, a store, LI wood from other states and countries. By purchasing a cookhouse, some skill shops and a school accommodated hundreds of workers and some families in these isolated towns. local forest products, citizens can also reduce the costs of forest treatments needed to make Colorado's forests healthier. See www.coloradoforestproducts.org for more information. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests 77 .}1tr'i` it • l f Management Techniques of lower tree branches that happens when trees grow into each other. Clearcutting or Even-Aged Thinning young stands can also result Management in wildlife habitat enhancement and xS A clearcut is an area where all trees improved future timber harvests. have been removed. This technique is Thinning Mature Lodgepole often used in even-aged management Pine Forests because it is an excellent means of Thinning in mature lodgepole pine regenerating even-aged species like lodgepole pine. A clearcut area can be forests is not recommended for many reasons. Unlike when young trees are designed to provide optimal habitat for thinned, the vigor and growth of older wildlife, and can be shaped to blend $ trees does not improve significantly ,, naturally with topographic or other with the increased sunlight, nutrients . e ; C features. eatures. and water. Many older lodgepole • � =°. pine stands are infected with dwarf mistletoe, and trees left in the cut area will quickly infect the new seedlings. Additionally, shaded areas result in poor regeneration. Other considerations for managing lodgepole pine include windthrow, or blowdown. Trees in dense lodgepole forests depend on neighboring trees - to buffer strong winds. If stands are suddenly opened by excessive thinning, trees may blow over due to lodgepole t i pine's shallow roots. . m „/�:-. l�' �,.-^� +� .�/�" :� �' ._._ `�� Thinning mature lodgepole pine forests is an appropriate way to reduce Foresters may specify that wildfire hazard near communities. some large woody debris Harvest operations mimic, on a remain in contact with the smaller scale, the disturbances that Fire Use soil to foster nitrogen storage naturally regenerate i lodgepole ole pine.g p p Unlike prescribed fire, Fire Use in resulting decayed wood and to promote beneficial Equipment exposes the mineral soil is a fire that starts by lightning and microbial activity in the soil. that lodgepole pine needs as a seedbed. is managed for natural resource Closed cones fall to the forest floor and benefits. Wilderness areas, where cone-bearing branches are scattered natural processes are intended to take during harvest operations, releasing their course, are places where natural their seeds in the following summer's ignitions are sometimes managed as heat and leaving an open, sunlit area for Fire Use fires. them to grow. Although managing wildfire would most closely mimic natural processes, Thinning Young Lodgepole Pine Forests it can be complex, dangerous and Thinning young lodgepole pine expensive near communities. In these stands increases tree vigor and cases, Incident Management Teams, also postpones self-pruning, the natural loss called fire teams, may help manage Fire 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests 1 $ . , to ,fa 4 . 44 a+ ..,0 ! .1.1' * to x ,. p* Illie X Y '4' Use fi . These to .-pt � firefighter crews re rotect st res and cultural Clearcutting:The Ugly Duckling of Forest Management? and nat al resources i chance of the No silvicultural practice is more controversial than clearcurting. fire; monitor fire behavior; and suppress Indeed, clearcuts may appear stark and barren for several years the fire in areas where managers want before new growth provides a more vibrant look. One glance at an to keep it fdkn burning. There are less unsightly or ill-planned clearcut area can convince people that the than ten National Fire Use Management practice is devastating, regardless of evidence to the contrary. T- . s, including the Rocky Mountain " »* In even-aged, disturbance-dependent forests like lodgepole } , d out of pine, clearcutting can effectively emulate wildfire. It regenerates the Forest, creates diversity on the landscape and provides wildlife habitat. Economic benefit can also be gained by harvesting this 0 e, extensive renewable resource rather than burning it up. Ili rep 4 work is 40 ,:,4 sep ;.'7 ised fire in w _ ,..�. ... mine fore ;cause E . r ..;, .L, , x . 'rally burn as •', n fires, - -' y::k,, ing control measures on burn •.r 1.. ndaries ahead of time is ,, . r'=-�! .der specific circumstances, - c` can be a safe, effective m- . ! naging lodgepole pine 44 for ,, t it is a comely employed, is diffii i technique, 'be only place in Colo r`.o ;St tips had a long-term ,i pre ,,ed roY n fire program in fodg ''s.`Ile pine,•is at the Gunnison National, st. For more detail on this progrfam, see Areas of Lodgepole Pine gandgement on page 21. At Reducttolrankunill 'C munities o Wildfire mitigation " comical in all o forested com se fire is a fact of life in ith sore without In the midst of the huge swaths of brown and red beetle-killed trees,clearcut areas of live,young,green trees are greatly appreciated. beetle-killed tr fires historically burned in lodge e forests during` mow. extremely dry and wi 4 aditions. homes and commuaities.a@ well a Increased developtgent in High risk building with fire r .cistant m. forests also increases the need for i When homes have,defensi• wildfire mitigation activities. sp ces and the forestsurro comctinities are thin d t/ will Protecting communities from crown the catrtmunities be b t . -cted, 4 fires requires extensive thinning around but firefighters will b s. ' . .r 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests lii i Y • Areas of Lod e I ole Pine Mana a ement Colorado State Forest opportunities, the local economy, and other values. The Colorado State Forest is a unique As part of its stewardship mission, state trust property located the Colorado State Forest Service about 80 miles west of Fort Collins in conducts a variety of monitoring North Park. Stretching along the western slopes activities at the State Forest. These of the Medicine Bow Mountains, include water quality, wildlife and it is known for its spectacular scenery and aquatic insects. Monitoring and baseline for being situated at the headwaters information are key components in of the North Platte River. It has a long, rich history of multiple-use management adaptive management, where activities on the ground are continuously that continues today evaluated and adjusted based on The Colorado State Forest is feedback. currently one of the most intensely Mountain pine beetle is the current managed lodgepole pine areas in the priority at the Colorado State Forest. state. A variety of state agencies Although past forest management has created some young, resistant forest stands, many of the lodgepole pine d �ti4.'" ' `r'ffi ya;4 1€ forests at the state forest are old and ' susceptible to this pervasive forest insect. As the mountain pine beetle effects enormous change in northern Colorado's forests, the need for long- _ term sustainable forest management is greater than ever. Years of adaptive management at the Colorado State • Forest provide an excellent example of forest stewardship in action. Northern Colorado Bark Beetle • ei, Cooperative The Colorado State Forest The Northern Colorado Bark Beetle was created in 1938 cooperate in its management. The Cooperative, formed in October 2005, through state legislation Colorado State Forest Service manages consists of county and municipal that encourages harvesting forest resources, the Colorado State governments in Grand, Eagle,Jackson, timber in accordance with good forestry practice. Parks manages recreation, the Colorado Routt, and Summit counties; Colorado Division of Wildlife manages wildlife, State Forest Service; the Bureau of and the Colorado State Land Board Land Management; and the U.S. Forest oversees grazing leases and coordinates Service. All of these entities are seeking the overall management of the property. funding and resources from all available Like many other state trust lands, sources to respond to the bark beetles the 71,000-acre state forest generates and the long-term fire hazards that result revenue for Colorado's public schools. from widespread beetle-killed trees. Timber harvesting contributes to those The cooperative's top priorities revenues while also enhancing forest are to help protect life and property, Air! health, wildlife habitat, recreation infrastructure, and watersheds 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests ! . i II/idle a. i if', :-. .,! '''.1' `�,�t4:1��- ,?t c ., '� 'Z .' ' �,.... �h.. ' C 1. r 3 ,, from bark beetles and wildfire Fire mitigation, tree spraying, and removing infested trees are being expedited in residential subdivisions, ski areas, {i business areas, and scenic corridors. i Over 35,000 acres were treated in 2006 atH Ai:: d�:11' :11' - and additional work is planned in these "° . • high-priority areas. Additional efforts "P= o 'it , jr' include researching socio-economic z -! � impacts of the bark beetle epidemics ` „ xJ ~rte and preparing wildfire prevention and ' i 0. �., <z suppression strategies. ' iyk, Gunnison National Forest ;` ' ti¢ „', ' ei _ - x3 , 1. Incorporating stand-replacing crown ' r %' ',4",:.�: o fire into a prescribed burn program ,.,..-i.,--,441700_ 'w • j a P g -t-�. w .; i � i, E, requires years of careful planning and preparation and the fire managers t Bighorn sheep are in Gunnison have an excellent track year. First, experienced firefighters magnificent yet sensitive record of doing just that. From 1983 created fire unit boundaries by burning animals that are subject to until 1999, the U.S. Forest Service had a vegetation along topographic breaks and population crashes under certain c conditiotions. burn plan that included 50,000 acres of snow-covered areas. These buffer areas lodgepole pine and spruce/fir forests in were from a half mile to several miles the Gunnison National Forest. The plan's wide. Later, during drier conditions, primary objectives were to improve the forested interior was lit on fire by bighorn sheep habitat and kill the snail helicopter and from the ground. Crown that carries lung-worm, a disease that fires then burned from treetop to treetop can weaken or kill sheep. Meeting these and via spotting. Spotting occurs when objectives also reduced fuel build-up, winds carry burning embers in front of protected watersheds, and allowed a fire, allowing it to spread to unburned crown fire to return to fire-dependent areas. The boundary areas were forests. designed to be wide enough to prevent Bighorn sheep prefer exposed areas embers from starting a new fire outside where they can see predators, and the prescribed fire unit. benefit from the openings created by Fire managers are currently writing crown fires. They also eat the succulent, a new burn plan that would continue nutritious plant growth that follows. earlier successful efforts to improve When there are many open areas with bighorn sheep habitat. Although there ample, low-growing vegetation, the herd are risks and smoke management spreads out. This reduces the chances concerns, if these areas are not that an illness might wipe out all of the managed, consequences are grave for sheep at once. bighorn sheep. If they stop migrating, Depending on weather and safety they will become more susceptible to conditions, between 50 to 2,500 acres stresses and illnesses, and the success of within the Gunnison National Forest's the herd may be jeopardized. burn plan area were burned each 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests 111 f• t • v • Conclusion Coloradans have both the make a perfect storm of conditions for opportunity and responsibility to shape wind-driven crown fires. Proactive forest the state's forests for the next 5, 50 management activities can limit impacts and 100 years. If these forests are not to communities and watersheds from carefully considered, planned for and these events. appropriately managed, future wildfires The current interest in healthy and insect outbreaks will continue to forests generated by the massive create more burned, overcrowded and mountain pine beetle mortality has beetle-killed trees than most people provided a window of opportunity would like. for broader consideration and better The need to manage vital forest management of Colorado's forests. resources becomes more critical as Well-planned forest management, land is increasingly developed and however, is a long-term endeavor and fragmented at the same time that an investment in time and resources. It society's demands on these resources has taken years for forests to become are growing. old and overcrowded, and it will take Just as warming temperature trends, years to create resilient, vigorous forests. drought, and old, crowded forests are But by making a long-term commitment a recipe for a widespread mountain in these renewable natural resources, pine beetle outbreak, warmer weather Coloradans' economies and quality of and a relatively long fire-free interval life will benefit tremendously, today and in Colorado's lodgepole pine forests tomorrow. 'tom , f r 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests • 44 • • . 1• FY a Or, Aguayo, Ingrid. 2006. Colorado Insect and Disease Report. Fort Collins, Colo. Brown,James K. 1973 Fire cycles and community dynamics in lodgepole pine • forests. In: Symposium proceedings: Management of Lodgepole Pine Ecosystems. David M. Baumgartner, editor. Washington State University. 429-456. Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala, tech. coords. 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 1 . Conifers; Agriculture Handbook 654. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. 1,383 p. Cole, Walter E. and Gene D. Amman. 1980. Mountain pine beetle dynamics in lodgepole pine forests. Part I: course of an infestation. General Technical Report INT-89. Ogden, Utah: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station; 56 p. Despain, Don G. 1973. Lodgepole pine ecosystems as producers of recreation. In: Symposium proceedings: Management of Lodgepole Pine Ecosystems. David M. Baumgartner, editor. Washington State University. 278-284. Ellsworth, E. and T.D. Reynolds. 2006. Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/snowshoehare.pdf. 68 p. Harlow, William M., Ellwood S. Harrar,James W. Hardin, Fred M. White. 1991. Textbook of Dendrology. Seventh edition. Hess, Karl and Robert Alexander. 1986. Forest Vegetation of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Central Colorado: A Habitat Type Classification. USDA Forest Service Research Paper RM-266. Hoover, Robert L. and Dale L. Wills, editors. 1987. Managing forested lands for wildlife. Colorado Division of Wildlife. 459 p. Kitzberger Thomas, Peter M. Brown, Emily K. Heyerdahl, Thomas W. Swetnam, and Thomas T. Veblen. 2006. Contingent Pacific-Atlantic Ocean influence on multi-century wildfire synchrony over western North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Koch, Peter. Lodgepole Pine in North America. Volume 1 : Background. 1996. Forest Products Society. 343 p. Koch, Peter. 1996. Lodgepole pine commercial forests: An essay comparing the natural cycle of insect kill and subsequent wildfire with management for utilization and wildlife. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. General technical report INT-GTR-342. 24 p. Litton, R. Burton. 1973. Esthetic resources of the lodgepole pine forest. In: Symposium proceedings: Management of Lodgepole Pine Ecosystems. David M. Baumgartner, editor. Washington State University. 285-296. 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests i L F II•.�,/ T l�'1S YR''.��r �A i"4 ♦ ., J ! T.F" .l r.. .. F.-Aar: ml'i i Y t. a r g ' Lotan,James E. and David A. Perry. 1983. Ecology and Regeneration of Lodgepole N' �s % ��' Pine. Agriculture Handbook 606. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, f1 ! "�`` Washington, DC. 51 p. ;sp Y � Lotan, James E.,James K. Brown, and Leon F. Neuenschwander. 1984. Role of fire in lodgepole pine forests. In Symposium Proceedings: Lodgepole pine: The +7-.1147,1,7= et species and its management. David M. Baumgartner et al., eds. Washington State KK"1.3 University. ,"1;f G1,s «= z ; Lotan,James E. and William B. Critchfield. 1990. Pinus contorta Doug!. ex. Loud. . .x `; t44.% lodgepole pine. In: Silvics of North America. Volume 1 . Conifers. Agric. Handbook. ;h � � ,^ t•f�"` 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Online Resource: Biology, Ecology, and Management of Western Bark Beetles. U.S. Forest Service. ' Rocky Mountain Research Station. Online: http://www.usu.edu/beetle/publications_ r bark_beetle.htm � aj YY 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests y O - C S. C O o yoa, -g 1.. Q J > V �� t er V es U U ;fur,' V N V u V 7 2 -- j� • 60- ,� �' �p� 4¢ Q c. d v/ - ., u C: ¢ , Q' a. u . '% i ` > v v vim''\��If doo o eoo .coo u. ¢ o0 00 Q 5 e-;. v9w� Nita AOit ca O o , o E CLo et oo ao c,,, o 'O oo c2 ,a ,0 o o v �S o � E4:' b � � ¢ o yo �r- -vv o 3 � � ' 3 cm d'N ca In o7niN ovC -o ,n - o 8r- a ' o 'ob e ;m I r v-, Q N C�. .-. W v m Q 000 ._7 ^. 2 �Y' W N "' o. '„' X C ' ` ^" . EP d ,LY 1u-. 7 L y 9 wR o m Vic. CI 0 4 .iii a 'o O c ✓ 1 ti . f3 T t3 = I trt .^3 ' . p . III 1 Or , . . O W• ; ax. 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Ig N , , ; H I •, o • C In • '6 • 14- A••- i f Acknowled • ements cf The 2006 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests was developed by the ti Colorado Division of Forestry (Colorado State Forest Service) in conjunction with t � { �`�. Colorado State University Publications and Printing. The primary author was Jen The following individuals provided significant information for the report Dr. Wayne Shepperd of the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, t; Drs. Frederick ("Skip") Smith and William Romme of the Department of Forest, ' rs � Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship at Colorado State University, and U.S. Forest ca Service Entomologist Robert Cain. Regional Silviculturalist Jim Thinnes of the U.S. Forest Service, Dr. Tom Veblen of the Geography Department at Colorado University, Foresters John Twitchell and r ' Brook Lee and Entomologist Ingrid Aguayo of the Colorado State Forest Service, Long Term Fire Behavior Analyst Doug Stephen of the National Park Service and Entomologist Tom Eager of the U.S. Forest Service also contributed to this report. ° " Maps were created by Skip Edel of the Colorado State Forest Service. • Special thanks to Paige Lewis, Colorado State Forest Service, and to the Colorado Forestry Advisory Board for their oversight, and to Barbara Dennis for her tremendous help and attention to detail in facilitating design and production. Photos on the front cover, from top left to bottom right, were taken by: Ron Cousineau, Carol Twitchell, Terry Spivey, and Bill Ciesla. Photos on the back cover from top to bottom were taken by: Bob Sturtevant, Hans Rinke, CSFS, Bob Sturtevant, and Mandy Wiedeman. 9 .., { T �, f ; :'--,t Colorado Department of Natural Resources or . , tx�, 'i ' Division of Forestry CH—"dr 14111 AI.'bre I ,(tir . 0 i.+„ .. w -.., ,€h + `, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 718 Denver, Colorado 80203 ` (303) 866-3311 _ ss- www.dnr.state.co.us Co r do --.74-_ FOREST z SERVICE 11 COLORADO s ! •—7,404c ii7 i ill i 1 , IF 1)EPARTLT OF re're' MNNATURAL `%or, ; .F : RESOURCES printed on recycled paper Hello