Forest Projects (2024) — The Boulder Watershed Collective

FOREST PROJECTS

Our forest projects aim to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and contribute to landscape-scale restoration by focusing on projects that maximize ecological resilience across the watershed. We work with private landowners and neighborhoods to effectively put restoration practices onto the ground in a way that aligns with state and federal standards.

If you’re interested in learning more or participating in a forest project, reach out!

PROJECTS IN THE WORKS

**Gold Hill - Phase 1**

**Status:** Active
**Project Description:** This project includes 100 acres of strategic forest thinning on 3 private properties to create a fuel buffer along the north and west edges of Gold Hill.

**Gold Hill - Phase 2**

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** Phase 2 of the Gold Hill project involves creating a fuel break within a stand of lodgepole pine in the town-owned parcel southwest of Main street. Southeast of Main street, there is open meadow where rotational goat grazing will be utilized. An additional thinning will be undertaken along the eastern flank of the town.

**Porter Ranch**

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** This project encompasses 160 acres of mixed conifer forest held between 12 landowners, surrounded by Forest Service on three sides. This highly diverse mosaic will be mitigated in two phases: Phase 1 is underway and consists of thinning along the road in partnership with the Timberline Fire Protection District in order to increase egress along the single road into and out of the neighborhood. Phase 2 will be the bulk mitigation project across the 12 landowners, and will decrease bulk fuel density and increase canopy heterogeneity, while maintaining privacy barriers between houses.

Pinecliffe

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** Pinecliffe is a collaborative project between CSFS and BWC. The project is split into two phases - the first involves creating defensible space around 40 cabins, while Phase 2 will involve more mechanical treatment in the 119 acres of mixed conifer north of the cabin area.

CR 99

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** The County Road 99 project is a collaborative effort between CSFS and BWC. It involves buffering ingress/egress routes for the community west of Pinecliffe with a mix of patch cuts and selective thinning based on stand composition. The project links to county mitigation work at Reynolds Ranch.

Crescent Park

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** Crescent Park is a collaborative project between CSFS and BWC. We are in the outreach phase to bring landowners in the area into the project.

Arapaho Ranch

**Status:** Active
**Project Description:** The headwaters that provide the City of Boulder with water run through Arapaho Ranch just outside of Nederland. This project is nestled next to Tucker Ranch, and we are looking forward to cross-boundary collaboration with Boulder County on continuing to steward this critical landscape.

Copperdale

**Status:** Active
**Project Description:** A neighborhood-scale project to reduce bulk fuel density. This project was initiated by the neighborhood getting together in the interest of a cohesive fuel break. BWC worked with BVLCD to develop and implement a “backyard” forest health project that will be finished in 2024.

Arkansas Mountain

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** 100+ acres owned by 10 landowners. We are increasing meadows, strengthening the WUI, and tying into work by Boulder County at Betasso and Fourmile fire.

Los Lagos

**Status:** Active
**Project Description:** The Los Lagos project is a collaborative project between CSFS and BWC. This project stitches together larger strategic landscape work by the USFS with interstitial private lands.

Roosevelt Ridge

**Status:** Planning
**Project Description:** 100-200 acres, split between several landowners, in an area of strategic importance in the Peak-to-Peak corridor. We are starting outreach to the neighborhood.

Collaborators and Funders

We acknowledge and appreciate that our project areas are on land within the territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people. Further, we acknowledge that 48 contemporary tribal nations have been connected for centuries to the lands that make up the state of Colorado and many are still here today.