Site search
sponsored by
Home
News
SUMMIT COUNTY - Frisco is under a watchful eye as the town deals with the pine beetle outbreak.
The University of Illinois is studying Summit County's Pine Beetle Task Force - an organization that stemmed from the grassroots nonprofit, Our Future Summit - to see how communities collaborate to address the rampant loss of lodgepole pines.
The U.S. Forest Service is funding research on how local communities are responding to forest health changes. Courtney Flint, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, is studying Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Vail, Granby, Walden and Kremmling.
Flint conducted a similar study from 2003-2005 on Alaska's response to spruce bark beetle outbreaks; the Kenai Peninsula lost 1.5 million trees throughout a 20-year period.
The study will provide forest managers with different views on community vulnerabilities, perceptions of risks to forests, local resources and actions regarding forest management. It will show where local communities agree with or differ from the Rorest Service's plans. It will also indicate if the various regions respond in similar or different ways.
Rather than wait for federal funding, the community is taking action. The Snake River homeowners' association took out 2,000 trees on its own. Frisco is removing 9,000 beetle-infested trees around the Nordic center, Frisco Bay trail and the disc golf course in an effort to create long-term forest health. In Summit County, many homeowners' associations have sprayed for beetles for years.
"We're urging people to spray, telling them it's the only thing they can do, because there's no other hope," said Pat Tormey, spokesperson for Ruby Ranch. "We're not saying it will work, because we don't know, but it's become more pressing now."
This summer, Flint will interview forest managers and about 15 to 30 members of each community, ranging from real estate agents and business owners to health providers and minority groups, to get their perspectives on the problem and solutions. She also will attend local meetings, including the task force's July meeting. In January, she will mail a survey to households in each community to assess opinions from the larger populations.
Flint plans to publish her findings in academic journals geared toward forest management. She also will submit her reports to each Colorado community.
"I just hope we can serve as an example to other counties - with a grassroots organization that's volunteer driven, not government driven," said Sandy Briggs, executive director.
Though Summit County could act as a role model, the pressure doesn't seem to intimidate the task force. Howard Hallman, the president, sees it as an opportunity to increase community collaboration. He wants more conversations between diverse groups of people.
"I'm excited that the University of Illinois is there," Hallman said. "The more people that are listening and watching, the better. It provides energy we might not otherwise have. Everybody who comes to the table has something to add."
As far as mistakes go, Hallman admits the community will have some, but it needs to keep its eye on the solution, rather than any failure researches may find.
So far, Flint has commented positively on Frisco's concern about the pine beetles.
"With preliminary findings, Frisco seems to be quite an engaged community on the issue, and it seems to be quite an active community in general," Flint said.
In addition to the university's study, Denver's Channel 9 News will be covering the task force soon, said Sandy Briggs, executive director of Our Future Summit.
The University of Illinois is studying Summit County's Pine Beetle Task Force - an organization that stemmed from the grassroots nonprofit, Our Future Summit - to see how communities collaborate to address the rampant loss of lodgepole pines.
The U.S. Forest Service is funding research on how local communities are responding to forest health changes. Courtney Flint, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, is studying Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Vail, Granby, Walden and Kremmling.
Flint conducted a similar study from 2003-2005 on Alaska's response to spruce bark beetle outbreaks; the Kenai Peninsula lost 1.5 million trees throughout a 20-year period.
The study will provide forest managers with different views on community vulnerabilities, perceptions of risks to forests, local resources and actions regarding forest management. It will show where local communities agree with or differ from the Rorest Service's plans. It will also indicate if the various regions respond in similar or different ways.
Rather than wait for federal funding, the community is taking action. The Snake River homeowners' association took out 2,000 trees on its own. Frisco is removing 9,000 beetle-infested trees around the Nordic center, Frisco Bay trail and the disc golf course in an effort to create long-term forest health. In Summit County, many homeowners' associations have sprayed for beetles for years.
"We're urging people to spray, telling them it's the only thing they can do, because there's no other hope," said Pat Tormey, spokesperson for Ruby Ranch. "We're not saying it will work, because we don't know, but it's become more pressing now."
This summer, Flint will interview forest managers and about 15 to 30 members of each community, ranging from real estate agents and business owners to health providers and minority groups, to get their perspectives on the problem and solutions. She also will attend local meetings, including the task force's July meeting. In January, she will mail a survey to households in each community to assess opinions from the larger populations.
Flint plans to publish her findings in academic journals geared toward forest management. She also will submit her reports to each Colorado community.
"I just hope we can serve as an example to other counties - with a grassroots organization that's volunteer driven, not government driven," said Sandy Briggs, executive director.
Though Summit County could act as a role model, the pressure doesn't seem to intimidate the task force. Howard Hallman, the president, sees it as an opportunity to increase community collaboration. He wants more conversations between diverse groups of people.
"I'm excited that the University of Illinois is there," Hallman said. "The more people that are listening and watching, the better. It provides energy we might not otherwise have. Everybody who comes to the table has something to add."
As far as mistakes go, Hallman admits the community will have some, but it needs to keep its eye on the solution, rather than any failure researches may find.
So far, Flint has commented positively on Frisco's concern about the pine beetles.
"With preliminary findings, Frisco seems to be quite an engaged community on the issue, and it seems to be quite an active community in general," Flint said.
In addition to the university's study, Denver's Channel 9 News will be covering the task force soon, said Sandy Briggs, executive director of Our Future Summit.
