BRECKENRIDGE — Breckenridge’s mountain pine beetle program continues its emphasis toward reforestation and watershed protection with its replanting program.

Residents are encouraged to turn in receipts and forms for up to 20 percent reimbursement on trees they’ve planted. The effort aims to replace infested lodgepole pines, 95 percent of which are predicted to be lost within town limits.

Town planner Jenn Cram said the program’s defensible space component is expected to be complete by spring 2009. The town has discussed using the U.S. Forest Service’s model of requiring a 15-foot buffer between homes and forests as part of its program. This would help ensure homes are protected from forest fires by eliminating flammable trees near homes.

Cram said the requirements would vary case-by-case, as the conservation district’s situation would be less at-risk than, for example, the Highlands at Breckenridge.

“We want to keep firefighters safe,” she said.

And though healthy trees could be removed under the possible component, fire-wise trees such as aspens and cottonwoods would likely be allowed closer to homes.