Forest fuel management

Abstract

Twentieth-century forest management practices of fire exclusion have caused a buildup of forest fuels that, combined with current weather patterns, threaten the ecological health of the Colorado Front Range. The year 2002 clearly demonstrated the potential for catastrophic wildfire in the area. During that year's fire season, the Hayman fire moved across 13 8,000 acres of the Pike National Forest, located south and west of Denver. The South Platte River watershed coincides with much of the Pike National Forest, and the urban and suburban populations of Denver - currently in an apparently deteriorating drought situation - are dependent on the South Plane watershed for their water supply. The Hayman and other wildfires in recent history put the forest's health and water quality in jeopardy.

Citation

Troutwine, Judy M. 2005. Forest fuel management. Geospatial Solutions. May: 22-27.