Gary Severson

1. What are the priorities of NWCCOG in dealing with the infestation and possible fire danger?

The mission of Northwest Colorado Council of Governments is multi-jurisdictional cooperation between municipal, county, state and federal governments in addressing issues that are regional (northwest Colorado) in scope. Regarding wildfire mitigation/mountain pine beetle issues, we are focused on several priorities:

a. Cross boundary, multi-jurisdictional cooperation through plan development and implementation.

b. Development of local markets for woody biomass.

c. Development of private sector incentives for removing and utilizing woody biomass.

d. Cooperative involvement with state and federal law makers regarding legislative appropriate programs.

e. Cooperative involvement with federal land management agencies to remove administrative barriers to effective treatments.

f. Cooperative involvement with federal land management agencies to increase funding for treatments.

2. What is NWCCOG doing to fight the infestation, protect trees, and inform residents about your efforts?

The primary customers of NWCCOG are local, state and federal governments. NWCCOG rarely works directly with the public. It is the philosophy of NWCCOG not to "toot our own horn" so we give the credit for accomplishments to our member jurisdictions. NWCCOG has accomplished the following:

a. County-wide wildfire mitigation plans for Pitkin and Eagle Counties and currently working with Summit County.

b. Upper Blue Wildfire Mitigation and Forest Health Planning with Summit County, the Town of Breckenridge, Red White and Blue Fire Protection District, the White River National Forest, the Colorado State Forest Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

c. Completion of a feasibility study for converting municipal and county owned public buildings from fossil fuels to bio-fuels. The Summit County Commons bio-fuels project is an outgrowth of this.

d. Completion of a business plan for the multi-jurisdictional acquisition and operation of appropriate wood processing equipment to remove and process woody biomass.

e. NWCCOG recently applied for a $250,000 grant from the USDA Forest Service to develop a Northwest Forest Cooperative that will unite willing small forest products related companies remaining in northwest Colorado for the purpose of marketing, producing and selling their products from local woody biomass. In addition, the Northwest Forest Cooperative because they will have more leverage will be able to more successfully bid for local timber sales, service contracts, and stewardship contracts with the US Forest Service and BLM. We will know within the next 60 days if we will make the national short list for this grant.

f. Membership on the Northern Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative steering committee formed by the US Forest Service, BLM and the Colorado State Forest Service. I will be joining a team of National Forest Supervisors going back to Washington, D.C. in late January or early February to present a regional strategy to the Chief of the Forest Service and the Under Secretary of Agriculture for addressing mountain pine beetles and request additional funding for the implementation of the strategy.

g. NWCCOG was an advisor to Representatives Mark Udall and John Salazar in the drafting of federal legislation addressing mountain pine beetles.

h. NWCCOG was an advisor to a joint Colorado legislative committee addressing rural issues for a bill that will be introduced in January calling for a required feasibility study for biomass fueled HVAC systems on all new buildings being constructed by the State of Colorado.

3. What can residents do to protect their property and assist local officials who are working on the problem?

Unite and work together to address fire and insect issues on their own properties.

4. What kind of long range planning needs to be done to protect and renew our trees during and after the infestation?

Lodgepole Pine is a self regeneration species. Lodgepole has a seed cone that only opens with heat to release the seeds. Once forest canopies are opened, direct sunlight is sufficient to open cones. In addition, fire will also open cones to release seeds. What we do not want to happen is to have a major catastrophic wildfire burn the area. Such an event burns so hot that soil can actually be sterilized due to destruction of the micro-biologic organisms in the soil. So, getting the heavy fuels (dead, fallen trees) off of the ground is very important.