San Juan National Forest Winter 2022 Partnership Newsletter

14 December 2022 Stay up to speed on programs and projects happening in the SJNF as well as information on Forest Service personnel and thoughts on collaboration. The Winter 2022 Edition highlights the RESTORE grant, restoration work on Grasshopper Creek Fen, partnership opportunities, new employee introductions, and updates on landscape-scale collaborative projects. Sign up for…

Playing with fire: How a history of mining, suppression and climate change has fueled a new generation of wildfires

24 July 2020 Historic logging and mining activities in CO have in part shaped the forests of today by impacting age, size, and species diversity. A history of wildfire suppression in the 20th century and changing climate dynamics have also contributed to the current state of our forests. Read more about this article HERE. This…

Anatomy of a wildfire: How fuel sources, weather and topography influence wildfire behavior

31 July 2020 The causes and effects of wildfires are complex. The interplay of fuels, weather, and topography are the three most important factors to impede or encourage the spread of fire across a landscape. Read more about this topic HERE. This is the 2nd installment of a 4-part series written by the Summit Daily…

On the front lines: How firefighters combat wildfires

7 August 2020 The 1-5 wildfire ranking scale helps firefighters and the public to understand the severity of a fire and the resources it may require to be appropriately managed or suppressed. Different values at risk, including human life, infrastructure, watersheds more help determine the level of response to any given wildfire, and the tactics…

The future of wildfires: A cultural struggle to learn to live with fire

14 August 2020 “As innovators work on creative solutions to deal with fires, others stress that one key to mitigating risk is more cultural: can humans learn to better coexist with fire?” Read more from this article HERE. This is the last installment of a 4-part series about fire published in the Summit Daily News.

Prescribed fire scheduled in Chimney Rock National Monument

PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo., April 16, 2019 – Fire officials on the Pagosa Ranger District in San Juan National Forest will conduct prescribed fire operations in Chimney Rock National Monument as early as April 22, 2019. Less than 100 acres across three burn units are planned. Actual ignition days will depend on weather and fuel conditions, and…

Prescribed Burning in Pagosa Ranger District

PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo., April 8, 2019 –The Pagosa Ranger District in San Juan National Forest is planning to conduct several prescribed burns near Pagosa Springs. Burning operations will take place over several days beginning mid-April. Work may continue through June depending on weather and fuel conditions. To Read Full Press Release Click HERE

Communities Want Trees Thinned. Timber Companies Want Contracts. So What’s The Problem?

PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo. — J.R. Ford’s company removes trees and brush from key areas around subdivisions, power lines and water utility infrastructure in a bid to better protect people from wildfire. It’s work that’s vitally important here in the arid West, where mountains have become overgrown with quick-to-burn trees such as ponderosa pine. But many…