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National Fire Plan Success Story

Dillon Reservoir Forest Health and Fuels Project
White River National Forest, Summit County, Colorado
2007 to Present

Picture of the snow-covered project area.

Picture of the snow-covered project area.

Picture of the snow-covered project area.

Operations began on March 10, 2008 southwest of the Dillon Dam, and currently include one feller-buncher/processor, one log skidder, and one excavator working in three to four feet of snow.

The Dillon Reservoir Forest Health and Fuels Project is located on the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The project surrounds the At-Risk Communities (ARCs) of Keystone, Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne Colorado within the Dillon Ranger District, and is also located within the vicinity of Dillon Reservoir, which is a municipal water supply locally for the City of Denver. In addition, this area provides numerous recreational activities including skiing, hiking, biking, camping, hunting, water sports, and fishing; bringing in tourism year round.

The Dillon Reservoir Forest Health and Fuels Project was developed to manage forest vegetation affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to community infrastructure, incorporating recommendations of the Summit County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The project will treat approximately 3,300 acres on National Forest System (NFS) lands, which includes 2,537 acres of forest health treatments, 290 acres of wildland urban interface defensible space fuel treatments, 304 acres of aspen enhancement treatments, and approximately 169 acres of hazard tree removal and scenery improvement along roads on NFS lands. Project activities were initiated in 2007 with expected completion by 2018.

Currently, project activities are being performed under the Wildernest Stewardship Integrated Resource Service Contract, awarded to Jerry Luce Contracting from Nampa, ID on September 25, 2007. Operations began on March 10, 2008 southwest of the Dillon Dam, and currently include one feller-buncher/processor, one log skidder, and one excavator working in three to four feet of snow.

The Wildernest Stewardship Project contains 40 cutting units with required tree removal, treating approximately 1,309 acres, and 16 fuel treatment units totaling approximately 51 acres; with a target completion date of May 31, 2012. Piling and mastication of slash will begin during the summer of 2008; and slash piles are expected to be burned during the winter months of 2008, 2009, and 2010. Two additional contracts are expected to offered this year, the Keystone Stewardship Contract and the Straight Creek Timber Sale Contract.

The Dillon Reservoir Forest Health and Fuels Project is the result of an enormous collaborative effort between the White River National Forest; Summit County Wildfire Council; Summit County; the Towns of Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, and Keystone; Keystone Resort; various homeowners associations; public utility companies; Colorado Department of Transportation; Denver Water Board; Northwest Council of Governments; Northern Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative; and the Colorado State Forest Service.

Contact: Scott Ludwig, 303-275-5099, saludwig@fs.fed.us