Press Release - First Forest Health Council Meeting
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2008
CONTACTS
Katherine Timm, 970.217.2874, katherine.timm@colostate.edu
Deb Frazier, 303.866.5887, deb.frazier@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER'S FOREST HEALTH COUNCIL HOLDS 1st MEETING ON STATEWIDE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
Colorado's new Forest Health Advisory Council held its first meeting Thursday, with council members focusing on short term opportunities related to state and federal legislation as well as the long-term need for a comprehensive vision for Colorado's future forests.
Gov. Bill Ritter created the multi-agency council earlier this year to coordinate and lead efforts to address the mountain pine beetle epidemic, the wildland-urban interface and other threats to Colorado's 22 million acres of forestland.
Council members heard Thursday from several representatives of the state's Congressional delegation about forestry and wildfire legislation and discussed the potential impacts of program cuts proposed in President Bush's FY 2009 budget. State Sen. Dan Gibbs provided an update on forestry-related bills at the Capitol. The council will be making recommendations to the Governor regarding support for key initiatives in the coming weeks.
Council members also discussed a new comprehensive state forest resource assessment being developed by the Colorado State Forest Service. The assessment will incorporate a number of factors, including forest health, wildfire risk, population growth, wildlife habitat and critical watersheds with an eye toward identifying priority forest landscapes in need of management.
Once completed, the assessment and a strategy for moving forward will provide a vision and roadmap for the state's diverse forestry interests -- including local communities, land managers and non-profit organizations -- to work together to address Colorado's most pressing forest management challenges.
Other topics discussed by the council include:
- Opportunities to further the work of existing local forest collaboratives, such as the Front Range Roundtable and Colorado Bark Beetle Coalition;
- The need to reduce the cost of forest treatments through market development, incentives and increased use of prescribed fire;
- Strategies for combining wildfire risk reduction in watersheds with the restoration of forest health;
- The importance of assisting communities with the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and Firewise building strategies; and
- Ways to utilize forest biomass as a renewable energy resource as part of Gov. Ritter's Climate Action Plan and New Energy Economy initiative.
Harris Sherman, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Jeff Jahnke, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service, co-chair the council. The 24-member group also is composed of city, county, state, federal and private stakeholders, and representatives from the woody biomass industry, water suppliers, conservation groups and sportsmen.
The council's nest meeting is scheduled for May 19