Stewardship contract awarded for beetle work

DILLON - The White River National Forest late last week awarded a forest health and fuels reduction stewardship contract to treat 1,360 acres of forest land affected by the mountain pine beetle outbreak in Summit County.

Under the contract a private timber company will treat fuels on National Forest System lands adjacent to Dillon Reservoir, Interstate 70 and Old Dillon Reservoir, as well as the Wildernest, Mesa Cortina, Ruby Ranch, Three Peaks, Eagles Nest and Maryland Creek Ranch subdivisions.

Work will begin this fall in the Peak One Campground and areas adjacent to the Mesa Cortina subdivision. All 1,360 acres of treatments are expected to be completed by March 31, 2012.

"This contract will further the Forest's efforts to promote forest health, and the reduction in fuels will reduce the intensity of wildfire in the urban interface," said Forest supervisor Maribeth Gustafson. "The project also promotes the establishment of future forests in the area."

The Wildernest Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project will occur under what is known as a "stewardship contract."

A stewardship contract uses forest product and timber values to help offset the costs associated with fuels reduction treatments. The White River National Forest is funding the project at a cost of $1.3 million.

"This type of contracting is becoming more popular with timber removal linked to fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface," said forester Cary Green.

With the complexities and risks of performing forest health and fuels treatments within the wildland urban interface, fuels reduction treatment costs often exceed the value of the timber. Supplemental funding is provided to the contractor to do the additional fuels reduction work in addition to basic tree removal.

For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist Sally Spaulding at (970) 945-3206.