8/26/15
Hello neighbors!
I’m very excited to report that our community is now being featured by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a global organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
NFPA provides resources through the Firewise Communities Program and Fire Adapted Communities initiative (both co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service) to communities in high risk areas to help residents reduce their risk of wildfire damage to homes and property.
Now, not only are we a part of the prestigious Firewise communities which is nationally recognized for taking action to protect people and properties from the dangers of fire in a wildlife/urban interface, but we are a flagship for Firewisecommunities nationwide.
Please see our featured story at FIREBREAK: Saving lives and property from wildfire.
Best to you all!
Randy Clapp
PPM President
2/26/15
Hello neighbors,
As previously communicated in February, the shaded fuel break project began in March. Hand cutting of large diameter trees is now completed for Wetterhorn. Large diameter product will be skidded to the road shoulders for removal. Mastication of smaller diameter trees and slash should begin later next week.
Today, hand cutting of larger diameter trees will begin on Quandary between Wetterhorn and Kit Carson. Please be aware when driving this section of the road as there maybe heavy equipment along the shoulders.
There will be an accumulation of mulch (chipped from slash) that will be spread over the embankment of our former slash pit near the equestrian center. If anyone would like to use mulch for landscaping, please let me know so that I can coordinate with the foresters. I may be able to have mulch dropped at your property if we have some advance notice.
I would like to thank our Board and participating owners for continuing to improve property values within the community and promoting the recreation, health, safety and welfare of its Members. Most importantly, this project is a definitive step to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and help our neighbors feel safer in their environment and in their homes
I have attached a basemap of the area to be mitigated as well as a project description below. The yellow area of the basemap shows a private lot project not funded by the Association. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give me a call. Best to you all!
Randy Clapp
PPM President
2015 Preserve at Pine Meadows HOA Fuel Break Project Description:
Purpose:
The project has several primary objectives:
- Establish fuelbreaks along primary roads within the community.
- Improve wildfire suppression opportunities and create safer evacuation routes.
- Improve overall forest health by reducing susceptibility to insects and disease.
- Improve aesthetics of private and community open space property.
General Description of Work:
This project is a fuels reduction project. Work will be guided by the prescription listed below. All cut material will be treated on site. No slash, wood or masticated material may be left on permanent roads or trails. Work involves fuelsreduction and timber stand improvement via mechanical mastication, mechanical tree removal, or hand thinning in a predominantly mixed conifer forest – mature Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with small components of rocky mountain juniper, lodgepole pine, Colorado blue spruce, and aspen.
Marking:
Project Boundary: Boundaries for the unit are marked with orange flagging. Corners of the unit are designated with double orange flagging.
Streamside Management Zones: Primary drainages / riparian zones have been designated with yellow flagging. These zones are approximately 50 feet on each side of the feature that is designated for protection. Mechanized equipment is restricted from these zones, and trees designated for removal will be hand-felled.
Trees To Be Removed: are either a) marked with blue paint on the road-side or b) specified in the “General Prescription” below.
Target Stand:
Following treatment the project area should have improved structural, spatial, age-class, and species diversity within the units. Emphasis will be to remove Rocky Mountain juniper, ladder fuels, dead standing, sick and diseased trees, and trees designated to increase canopy spacing. The primary goal of this treatment is to create a forest stand structure that will not support catastrophic canopy fire.
General Prescription:
Fuel breaks will be implemented according to standards of our Forest Stewardship Program and within the CSFS publication “Fuel Break Guidelines for Forested Subdivisions & Communities”. Specifically –
- The goal is to have at least 10 feet of spacing between tree crowns. Some small groups of trees will be retained and crown spacing increased to ~25 feet accordingly.
- Ladder fuelsare a target for removal. Ladder fuels are typically small diameter trees that grow directly underneath the canopy of large “keep” trees.
- Ponderosa pine is favored for retention over Douglas fir trees.
- Juniper will be removed in most cases, as it is highly flammable. Juniper will only be retained if it occurs within a large opening (~30 feet of clearance).
- Live aspen trees will be retained in all cases and promoted where possible – small diameter, encroaching evergreens will be removed around them.
- Rarely occurring species, such as Colorado blue spruce, are favored for retention.
- Residual “keep” trees will have their lower branches pruned up to 1/3 the total height of the tree or 10 feet, whichever is less.
– See more at: https://www.mountainrealtycolorado.com/land-2/the-preserve-at-pine-meadows/firewise-community-updates/#sthash.2N3HcoAF.dpuf
2/26/15
Hello neighbors,
I’m excited to announce that your Board has secured $42,000 in federal and state grants and voted to proceed with both shaded fuel break projects on Wetterhorn and Quandary.
Two options were reviewed by the Board.
- Option 1: The majority of marked trees masticated on site with a chip depth of not more than 4 inches. Larger logs were to be removed and hauled off site with slash masticated on site. The cost was $42,300.
- Option 2: The full removal of those marked trees that are 3 inches diameter or greater. Remaining slash masticated on site. The cost was $55,300.
The board voted for Option 2 because it was a higher quality product and provided:
- A more effective fire reduction leaving less fuel mass on the ground
- An aesthetically more pleasing appearance
- A better fit to the grant requirements, which is a ‘fuels reduction project’.
After the application of grants and special assessments for work within the building envelops, the Association cost will be $9,878. The Association is well funded with $82,923 in total reserves as of Dec 2014. The Board plans to fund the fuel breaks from a current balance of $29,643 in operating reserves. Capital reserves and restricted net assets remain at $53,280.
The board also selected P&A Tree Service as it’s contractor and the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) will manage and oversee the projects. Barring any weather concerns, the projects are scheduled to begin mid-March and be completed by May. Because of the granting process, Wetterhorn will begin first.
I would like to thank our Board for continuing to improve property values within the community and promoting the recreation, health, safety and welfare of its Members. Most importantly, this project is a definitive step to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and help our neighbors feel safer in their environment and in their homes
I’ve attached a basemap of the area to be mitigated as well as a project description below. The yellow area of the basemap shows a private lot project not funded by the Association. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give me a call. Best to you all!
Randy Clapp
PPM President
2015 Preserve at Pine Meadows HOA Fuel Break Project Description:
Purpose:
The project has several primary objectives:
- Establish fuel breaks along primary roads within the community.
- Improve wildfire suppression opportunities and create safer evacuation routes.
- Improve overall forest health by reducing susceptibility to insects and disease.
- Improve aesthetics of private and community open space property.
General Description of Work:
This project is a fuels reduction project. Work will be guided by the prescription listed below. All cut material will be treated on site. No slash, wood or masticated material may be left on permanent roads or trails. Work involves fuels reduction and timber stand improvement via mechanical mastication, mechanical tree removal, or hand thinning in a predominantly mixed conifer forest – mature Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with small components of rocky mountain juniper, lodgepole pine, Colorado blue spruce, and aspen.
Marking:
Project Boundary: Boundaries for the unit are marked with orange flagging. Corners of the unit are designated with double orange flagging.
Streamside Management Zones: Primary drainages / riparian zones have been designated with yellow flagging. These zones are approximately 50 feet on each side of the feature that is designated for protection. Mechanized equipment is restricted from these zones, and trees designated for removal will be hand-felled.
Trees To Be Removed: are either a) marked with blue paint on the road-side or b) specified in the “General Prescription” below.
Target Stand:
Following treatment the project area should have improved structural, spatial, age-class, and species diversity within the units. Emphasis will be to remove Rocky Mountain juniper, ladder fuels, dead standing, sick and diseased trees, and trees designated to increase canopy spacing. The primary goal of this treatment is to create a forest stand structure that will not support catastrophic canopy fire.
General Prescription:
Fuel breaks will be implemented according to standards of our Forest Stewardship Program and within the CSFS publication “Fuel Break Guidelines for Forested Subdivisions & Communities”. Specifically –
- The goal is to have at least 10 feet of spacing between tree crowns. Some small groups of trees will be retained and crown spacing increased to ~25 feet accordingly.
- Ladder fuels are a target for removal. Ladder fuels are typically small diameter trees that grow directly underneath the canopy of large “keep” trees.
- Ponderosa pine is favored for retention over Douglas fir trees.
- Juniper will be removed in most cases, as it is highly flammable. Juniper will only be retained if it occurs within a large opening (~30 feet of clearance).
- Live aspen trees will be retained in all cases and promoted where possible – small diameter, encroaching evergreens will be removed around them.
- Rarely occurring species, such as Colorado blue spruce, are favored for retention.
- Residual “keep” trees will have their lower branches pruned up to 1/3 the total height of the tree or 10 feet, whichever is less.