Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
City-funded research finds some Boulder grasslands pose higher fire risk than models assume; managers testing prescribed burns and other tools
Summary
Boulder’s funded research program reported that on-the-ground fuel monitoring shows variability in grassland fuels and that some exotic grasslands (e.g., smooth brome) can carry higher fire intensity; managers and researchers are piloting prescribed burns, mowing and grazing trials to test effectiveness and trade-offs.
Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks and university partners presented research this week showing that standard fire models may underestimate fuels and flame potential in some grassland types, prompting pilots of prescribed burning and other fuel-management techniques.
Anne Lesberg, senior ecologist, reviewed the city’s Funded Research Program (FRP), which issues small competitive grants and partners with neighboring agencies to broaden project scope. Lesberg told trustees the FRP supports applied projects that inform management and cited examples such as reed-canary-grass control,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
