Before colonialization, Native Americans ensured that fire covered the land every 5 to 40 years. Natural or prescribed fire that is frequent, keeps the forest healthy, the pH of the soil at its optimum, reduces pest numbers and encourages diversity in the forest. For 150 years we have suppressed fire, and forestry and fire researchers now know that was a mistake.
What can we do about this mistake? Mitigate.
The Colorado State Forest Service has taught us that "creating the effects of fire on your private property without the devastation of fire will return your land to it healthy and natural state." If a property is not mitigated, it has too much "fuel" or "biomass" on it.
A fire on unmitigated property burns too hot; too intensely, and for too long. These intense fires sterilize the soil, kill trees and animals, crown (dangerously climb to the top of trees) and take decades to recover.
A fire on mitigated property moves quickly, is not hard to maintain, does not get hot, has no negative effects on the soil, and the land recovers in a couple weeks or months.
Don and I own property that is very well mitigated, so I would welcome a fire to pass through, in fact, I have asked Florissant Fire and Aspen Fire to arrange for a training burn of my property in the future. As we have removed nearly all the forest floor debris, ladder fuel (lower branches and shrubs that would allow the fire to "climb" the trees), and dead/downed/diseased trees, a fire will only improve my property. My home and outbuildings are "hardened", so embers cannot set them on fire.
Currently, our elected and appointed officials do not know the latest science on Good Fire, even though Teller County is currently one of the most fire dangerous counties in the state.
We are working everyday to make Teller the best mitigated county in the state. As we are a small county, with nearly 50% State or Federal property, we can do this.
We need our local government leaders to get on board with the National Cohesive Strategy for Fire. Thanks so much for caring. Let's turn this all around for Teller County! - Toni Moore
When mitigating trees on your property, the priority is spacing of the crowns of the trees, mitigating trees that create a hazard to structures, and removing any and all ladder fuels. After that you can think about what species to prioritize, and the species that are lower risk for fire should get priority over a more flammable species. Again, no matter what conifer it is, you still need to remove enough space tree crowns and effectively reduce forest fuel.
· Habitat Trees
o Rule of thumb is try to leave 1-3 per acre.
o Choosing a tree
§ Either is there a bird, squirrel, or another animal actively using that tree. Look for nests or holes that animals may have carved in tree. Is there newer looking material in the nest or is it an old one? Monitor /watch tree to see if there’s any animals coming or going… foot prints in snow, signs of bedding, or skat on ground may show what trees the forest animals are preferring
§ If you aren’t seeing any animal signs, you can choose trees that are aesthetically pleasing to you as a landowner... which ones do you think are cool, unique, or in a position you like
o Of course not every tree can be named a habitat tree because then we are actually degrading forest health by having an overcrowding of trees compared to available resources, and we are not meeting fire mitigation goals
· Decomposing logs/ forest material
o Leaving some material on the forest floor is beneficial, especially when you are away from structures/wood piles/ propane tanks. It’s recommended that 30 feet away from structures is a good place to start leaving some “low priority” forest material
o Material on the forest floor is returning nutrients to the soil, can help retain moisture in soil, can help reduce erosion, and serves as a habitat for bugs, fungi, and other critters. Habitats for bugs/fungi will also benefit your soil
o Half decomposed logs / small branches are very low priority when it comes to dangerous fuels. Half decomposed logs also can mess up you chainsaws, be time intensive, and heavy so they are often better left as “habitat”
The four species that dominate our forests are
Aspen
Much less vulnerable to fire than the coniferous trees. They provide shade and have a high water content, so it is recommended to always leave aspen groves
Remove any coniferous trees that are in the aspen grove (or adjacent to it), as they will be compete with the aspens for resources and will eventually take over if left unchecked - we want the aspens to "win"
Since the aspens in a grove are connected underground as a single organism, cutting live aspen can cause stress and infection to the grove and is not recommended
Ponderosa
Fire Adapted species - Their thick bark acts as a shield against ground fires and surface fires.
often found on south facing slopes where there is less moisture and nutrients, so we don't want them to have to compete with other species
Naturally want to grow far apart so their roots can spread out - recommended at least 16 feet per tree but more is better. If they are overcrowded, and/or competing with other species then their bark won't grow thick which makes them more susceptible to fire
They are self-pruning - meaning their lower branches naturally fall off (although may still need some pruning when heavy old branches dip near the ground)
younger trees don't have this thick bark yet and are close to ground, so are susceptible to surface and ground fires
Engleman Spruce
not adapted to resist fire and they burn readily
have a large amount of needle litter that accumulates under trees and their branches are low growing and create ladders to the canopy.
Douglas Fir
not historically dominant in the forests of this region, and have become more dominant due to the interruption of our natural wildfire cycles because this species is only fire resistant when mature
immature douglas fir burn readily because their bark is thin and filled with flammable resin - especially when there are a bunch growing near each other
Have small brittle branches all the way down to their base which is very dangerous ladder fuel
Douglas fir only develop thick bark with some fire resistance when they are mature, 40 years. They are not as fire resistant as ponderosa, and these forests need to be heavily mitigated to reduce fuels.
They produce a ton of offspring because historically a fire would come through and kill the majority of the babies and leave very few - in Teller we are seeing all the babies grow. and it's making our forests very dangerous and thick.
Wildlife prefers a properly mitigated lot. In fact, Colorado Department of Forestry recommends just two or three standing dead trees per acre as habitat for birds and rodents. Even trees that are not standing dead require attention. Removal of biomass on the forest floor makes it easier for deer to pass through, removal of ladder fuels makes it easier for prey animals to see approaching predators, so they will prefer your lot to unmitigated lots. Removing crowded, dead, or diseased trees protects and enhances the remaining trees, reducing competition for water and allowing for better sunlight penetration and air flow. Our state flower is all round the neighborhood, but often doesn’t bloom due to low light penetration. Emerging growth attracts deer and elk.
Standing dead aspens are fine habitat trees, but more than a handful per acre are unnecessary and can be cut down. They can be bucked, limbed, and used in your fireplace tonight. They are already “cured”. Standing dead as firewood burns hot and quick. Mix them in with cured pine and you will have a good hot fire. Live, healthy aspens have very white bark. The black small lower limbs are dead and ready to self-prune. Help them along by breaking this dead wood out of your aspens, making them look much healthier and lovelier.
Ladder fuel is the dead lower limbs of trees or the lower living limbs that droop down to the ground, along with under brush beneath trees. The limbs are called “ladder fuels” because wildland grass fires can “climb” these branches much as people climb up ladders. When a fire climbs a tree, it is known as “crowning”. Crowning is the most dangerous aspect of a wildland fire. When tree tops catch fire, the danger multiples and the fire can spread incredibly fast. It is very important to do everything you can to keep a wildland fire from climbing your trees.
Removing the ladder fuel also improves your forest health. Wildlife, like mule deer, prefer areas with clear line of sight. They will frequent your property more often if the ladder fuels have been removed. The dead lower branches can be removed without a saw. There are several ways to break these dry, brittle branches out of the trees. We have seen folks use hatchets, machetes, shovels, baseball bats, and just other limbs to knock the branches out. The low hanging living limbs require a saw, but it does not have to be a power saw. Gas power saws are heavy and a bit scary for most folks, but the newer battery versions work well to remove ladder fuels and are light weight.
Even a small hand saw will make quick work of many of these branches. It can be a big job to remove your ladder fuels, so we recommend working in one small area, a little at a time until most of your property has been completed. Your defensible space should be your first priority, but continue the work to your property line. Leave a few islands of unmitigated Doing so will make your property more valuable, beautiful, and safer.
When fire mitigating, removing biomass (slash) is a big part of the work. Many people chip, which can be fine, others haul off, which has its own problems. Sometimes hauling can be cost prohibitive; it is certainly no fun. There are not great options for hauling off slash, but NoFloCo is working to provide homeowners with some better solutions. Until then, some homeowners choose to burn in place. This can be done safely, but should be done thoughtfully and properly.
Step one is creating your slash piles. Look for areas on your private property to build your slash piles. Slash piles should be located under open sky (not under tree limbs or power lines), should not be on top of tree roots and should be away from structures. Some people like to have one or two burn areas that they reuse over and over. The burns will sterilize the soil beneath and nothing will grow in that area for many years.
NoFloCo recommends that properties of an acre or more locate a desirable walking path though their property and build small individual piles, no more than 3 feet tall along the center of that path. Having small, easy to access piles for a slash will make cleaning up your forested lot easier, and even safer.
The path you will create will add charm and interest to your property, will act as a grass fire break, and provide brush truck access for the firefighters, when a wildfire comes into your area.
Before burning, Teller County residents need to obtain a burn permit from the Sheriff's Department on Hwy 24 in Divide. The cost is $10.
The very best time for homeowners to burn their slash pile is after a nice big snow storm. Fire needs oxygen, fuel, and heat to grow. A snow storm helps with the heat and oxygen, as 6 inches of snow is very good for smothering out a fire. By covering a small section of your pile with tarp, you can much more easily get your initial fire to start. The snow will evaporate off your nearby slash as the fire heats up, and the fire will move along the slash line, allowing you lots of control. If you want assistance with a controlled burn on your property, NoFloCo volunteers will assist, bring trained firefighters (Type 2), and a Type 7 fire engine.
If you want to know more about safely removing slash and biofuels from your property, join a NoFloCo Fire Mitigation Posse workday. Text/email Don Moore at donmoore@nofloco.org or 719-839-0860 for more information.
By getting started on the fire mitigation of your forested lot, you make your home safer, the neighborhood safer, and firefighters safer. You will also improve the habitat for wildlife, have healthier trees, and your lot will be more beautiful. Working outdoors while improving the environment is good for your soul, your health and your attitude, too.
This type of debris is from long ago or recently dropped limbs from Ponderosa pines, aspens, firs, and other tree and forest debris. Many trees “self-prune” like this as part of their normal growth. As the tree matures, growth happens from the tips, so the very lowest branches die and then drop off as the tree grows taller.
In our area, a forest fire from the mid-1800s left lots of dead, charred trees stumps and debris on the forest floor, and they have only partially decayed over the years.
All the branches, limbs, pine cones, dead wood, stumps, burn debris are biofuels. That means once living matter that now will burn hot when a wildfire comes through.
It is important to pick up or rake up these biofuels.
If you work on small areas at a time, maybe one day a week, you will see a big improvement over the course of a year.
Why do you need to clean up this forest floor debris? When a wildfire comes through the area and there are minimal biofuels, the fire is quick and less intense. Tree bark is a good protectant for the trees, and the fire can pass around the tree without igniting it.
The temperature of these fires is lower, making it easier and safer for wildland firefighters to contain. If there are dense biofuels, the fire burns hotter and is fiercer. The hotter fire ignites the ladder fuel the (dead lower limbs of trees or the lower living limbs that droop down to the ground. These limbs are called “ladder fuels” because wildland grass fires can “climb” these branches much as people climb up ladders).
When fire climbs a tree, it is known as “crowning”. Crowning is the most dangerous aspect of a wildland fire. When tree tops catch fire, the danger multiples and the fire can spread incredibly fast. Dense biofuels put firefighters and their equipment at risk.
Removing the biofuels is beneficial even if no wildland fire occurs. These dry and porous material soak up lots of moisture during our infrequent rain events, preventing it from reaching tree roots. Biofuels also make walking in the wooded area less pleasant. Removing biofuels will make your wooded lot safer, your trees healthier, and your property more lovely.
Weed trees and diseased trees: When accessing the health of your forested lot, look for “weed trees” and diseased trees. Weed trees are younger trees that are crowding into and under larger and healthier trees, or trees that have sprouted too close to their neighboring trees. Ponderosa pines like to grow in clusters of 3 to 5, but not too close together. Fir and spruce are healthy growing a bit more crowded. Diseased trees are trees under attack by pests or parasites like mountain pine beetle, spruce budworm, or dwarf mistletoe. Look for gnarled clumpy growth in pines and dead tree crowns in any tree. Removing these trees will improve your forest health. The Colorado Department of Forestry recommends just one or two standing dead tree per acre as a habitat tree for birds and forest rodents. Removing the crowded, dead and dying trees will make your forest healthier. The diseases, pests, or parasites will be less likely to spread to other trees, and the remaining trees will have less competition for sunlight and water. Spruce budworm is ravishing our forests right now. Long term drought and the onslaught of the worms is killing our fir and spruce trees. Annual spraying is the best solution to saving the trees. Colorado State has a great publication to learn more: https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/csfs-the-budworms-are-back-synopsis-june-2017.pdf
Remember… you eat an elephant one bite at a time. An additional benefit to cleaning up your biofuels, is the physical and mental health benefits you will receive.