Three national forests in Colorado receive nearly $47 million for wildfire barriers

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…

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.

No mess-tent meals, no giant camps: This is wildfire fighting in Colorado during coronavirus

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…

On the front lines: How firefighters combat wildfires

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,…

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