The Colorado Sun released an article this week about the influx of funds for wildfire mitigation work in Colorado. More importantly, the article highlights the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership, as well as our very own Dana Guinn who discusses the “invisible success” of the mitigation work in 2021 that helped Pagosa Springs prepare…
MESA & GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo., 18 August 2020 Navigating novel protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among wildland firefighters as they battle one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history is not easy, to say the least. Everything from operations meetings to incident commander communications to social norms that help strengthen morale and…
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo., 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,…
Written by: Bill Trimarco, Archuleta County Coordinator, FireWise of Southwest Colorado Published in the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network Two years later (After the West Fork Fire), the social, economic and environmental impacts of that fire are still a concern to stakeholders who are working to improve watershed, forest and community health in the region. This…
By Aaron Kimple, in the Pagosa Sun Forest health is a term we hear a lot about these days. We hear it in relation to bugs and wildfire and water quality. But what does it mean to have a healthy forest and how do we know if a forest is healthy? San Juan Headwaters Forest…
By Katie Fiegenbaum, Cortez Journal Staff Writer “It is very encouraging to see these initiatives, especially with the emphasis on watershed and water quality as they relate to forest health,” said Aaron Kimple, program coordinator for the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership. The partnership is a community group of stakeholders focused on improving forest health…
By Dana Hayward, Staff Writer for the Pagosa Sun The San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership (SJHFHP) group met last Friday, Jan. 17, to discuss projects in 2014 and budget matters. Group members dedicated a great deal of time to an ongoing watershed assessment project funded mainly by the Southwest Water Conservation District (SWCD). Due to setbacks associated…
From Dana Hayward, Staff Writer for the Sun JR Ford’s Forest Health Company, operated by the Pagosa Cattle Company, is moving forward with forestry treatments on private parcels in the Hidden Valley subdivision. The primary objectives of the ponderosa forest treatment and thinning operations are to reduce the risk of intense wildfire and protect the…
By Dana Hayward of the Pagosa Sun The San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership (SJHFHP) met in November to discuss current and future projects, their 2014 budget, grants, overcoming fund-raising challenges, and other business. This year, the SJHFHP received two large grants from the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and from the National Forest Foundation (NFF)….
From Mary Jo Coulehan, Sun Columnist Membership We also welcome the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership. The members of this group are individuals and groups representing business interests, conservation organizations, local, state and federal government agencies, recreational interests, ranchers, property owners associations, scientists and interested citizens. The group is interested in sharing and strengthening…