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Summit County, CSFS identify three Upper Blue sites for hazardous-fuels grant application
Summary
Staff proposed applying for a Western Wildland-Urban Interface grant (up to $300,000 matching funds) to treat up to 155 acres at French Gulch and smaller units at Copper Canyon/Fuller Placer and Brown Gulch; OSAC/BOSAC signaled support pending prescription and implementation details.
Summit County staff presented a potential grant application to the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and asked OSAC and BOSAC to support including three Upper Blue locations in a Western Wildland-Urban Interface grant application.
Jordan Mead said the grant provides up to $300,000 in matching funds for hazardous-fuels reduction treatments and that the Summit County Strong Futures Fund could supply matching dollars. The three candidate areas are:
• French Gulch: up to 155 acres primarily mature lodgepole pine with pockets of aspen; treatment would prioritize removal of standing dead and down lodgepole while preserving aspen where practical to reduce wildfire intensity and encourage age-class diversity.
• Copper Canyon/Fuller Placer: up to 16 acres of dense lodgepole between Boreas Pass Road and Baldy Road; treatments would protect a nearby water tank and improve egress.
• Brown Gulch: up to 35 acres of mature lodgepole and spruce/fir near Tiger Road to diversify age-class and protect ingress/egress routes.
Mead said the application is due Dec. 20 and staff hoped to circulate an initial draft before the Thanksgiving holiday. Members asked about slope stability and erosion; staff responded that very steep slopes would not be treated and live vegetation would be retained where needed to maintain soil stability. OSAC and BOSAC indicated support for pursuing the grant, with the understanding that detailed prescriptions and implementation plans would be developed and shared if the grant is awarded.
