FIRE RESTORATION
The restoration of our land at Cal-Wood is going to be a 5-10 year process and will cost millions of dollars. What we have learned over the last 2 years is that fire restoration is not about our trees and forests, but about restoring the whole Ponderosa forest ecosystem.
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
In 2021, we completed many of our emergency restoration projects - stabilizing soil and removing hazard trees (see aerial mulching below!). In 2022, we continue our work on soil stabilization and restoration including planting Ponderosa Pine and Douglas fir trees, reseeding grass, managing invasive weeds, riparian restoration including planting native species and installing rock check dams.
AERIAL MULCHING
Aerial mulching is one strategy to restore the whole ecosystem at Cal-Wood. In 2021, sixty acres of hazardous trees were removed and mulched on site at Cal-Wood. The mulch was then distributed by helicopter over 240 acres in our moderate to high burn severity areas. This work will reduce post-fire water runoff and erosion in the burned areas while adding nutrients to the soil promoting plant and tree growth.
We are so thankful for the partnership with Boulder County and NRCS for this very important, half million dollar project.