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Larimer County approves $384,789 conservation corps grant to aid post‑fire seed collection
Summary
The county approved a two‑year 'conservation corps' grant of $384,789 to support temporary capacity for post‑fire seed and regeneration data collection in the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome burn scars; commissioners described the work as critical to native reforestation amid a regional seed deficit.
Larimer County commissioners approved a two‑year conservation corps grant on May 27 that will fund temporary positions to support post‑fire recovery efforts, including collecting regeneration and cone‑production data to increase the regional supply of native seed for reforestation.
Why it matters: County staff said data from the temporary teams will help U.S. Forest Service partners identify cone crops for seed collection, addressing a regional shortage of appropriate native seed needed to reforest high‑priority burn scars.
Details: The grant covers work through Nov. 30, 2026, and the total award is $384,789. The program will create four temporary positions (working in pairs) for seasonal work, tentatively scheduled June 30 through Sept. 30, to operate in the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome burn scars. The positions will collect data on regeneration and cone production to assist forest‑service seed collection planning.
Commissioner Jody Shattuck McNally, discussing the consent agenda item, described a larger seed‑supply problem: “There is a national and regional seed deficit in the millions for growing trees,” she said, and noted that over the last four years approximately 40,000 trees were planted in the Cameron Peak burn area alone. She added that seed sourcing is elevation‑ and region‑specific and that seed shortages sometimes force use of very old stock from local sources.
The grant was approved as part of the consent agenda motion, which passed 3–0. County staff said the work will support reforestation planning and augment regional nursery capacity while the state nursery is under construction.
Context and next steps: Staff indicated the collected data will be used by Forest Service partners to identify cone crops for collection; the grant’s term runs to Nov. 30, 2026. The transcript does not record additional budgetary appropriations beyond the grant award or an implementation timeline beyond the tentative seasonal dates.
