Forestry
Chairman: Rick Caissie

Members: Mike Backsen, Fred Balmos, Dennis Billings, Rick Caissie, Jeff DeChristopher, Wayne Eisenbrandt, Cindy Erickson, Roger Ezell, Bill Hicks, Joe Humpfer, John Hvizdos, Jack Litvay, Cloyce Miller, Jack Peterson, Val Philpott, Dennis Riley, Jim Schomaker, Ken Seifken, Keith Simmons, Steve Vittum, Chip Wait, Skip Zopf

Charter: Maintain a healthy forest in Game Trail with trees free of disease and harmful insects. Educate community on defensible space and basic fire protection

May 2011 Forestry Report

29 people attended our Fire Behavior mini-camp.
21 people attended our training for evaluating lots for fire fuels, risks and mitigation recommendations.
5 lot evaluations have been done for lot owners who have requested this service.
1 mountain pine beetle tree has been removed and buried in the borrow pit.

The volunteers on the forest committee are willing and able to discuss fire mitigation strategies with lot owners and home owners who request information or assistance.  Please contact Judy Wait or any member of the forestry committee

16-Apr-2011 Report on Benefits of Fuel Reduction Around Homes in Wallow Fire in AZ.

9-Apr-2011 Landowner's Guide for Dwarf Mistletoe Management

27-Mar-2011 GTA Education Regarding Reducing Wild Fire Danger

27-Mar-2011 Evaluation Form for Lot Owners to Assess Wildfire Danger

4-February-2011 Interesting information about living in a fire prone area

26-JAN-2011 Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire 2008 edition

Forestry  Committee Update; Nov 2010

Remember the concern last summer about forest fire?  Fall and winter is a great time for trimming that mistletoe, fire ladders, and thinning those thick stands.   Cool weather means soon we will have snow cover and mountain pine beetles don’t fly in this weather.  This is a good time to get some of that preventive work done.  A healthy lot has a significantly greater value than an unmaintained lot.

Our borrow pit is currently closed for the winter elk corridor, but the deer would love to nibble on your mistletoe trimmings this winter, and wild life will use your slash piles for shelter.  You can postpone the work of hauling slash to the borrow pit until April!

Gametrail volunteers on the forestry committee would be happy to talk to you about your projects, or walk your lot with you to look at forest health.  Please remember to get committee permission to remove live trees over 6 inches in diameter.  Fire ladder trimming, mistletoe trimming, removal of dead fall, and removal of small or dead trees is encouraged and does not require permission.

Information regarding trimming and thinning for defensible space as well as forest health can be found on the Colorado state forest library link: http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/pub-csfs2.html

 The volunteers are midway through the annual inspection for mountain pine beetle in Gametrail.  For information about the mountain pine beetle try Colorado State University  Extension at  http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html

Game Trail Healthy Forest & Fire Safety Guidelines
Apr 12, 2009 Community Wildfire Protection Plan
July 15, 2008 Flagging Your Lot
May 13, 2010 Firewood Cutting 2010
Aug 17, 2008 List of Wildfire Defensible Space Contractors

Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes October, 2011
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes March, 2011
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes February, 2011
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes December, 2010
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes October, 2010
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes February, 2010
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes December, 2009
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes April, 2009
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes March, 2009
Forestry Committee Meeting Minutes February, 2009