- S. Forest Service
The South Park Ranger District on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands will implement the Cannonball 1 Fuels Reduction Project in support of the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
The specific area of this project is approximately 400 acres of National Forest approximately five miles northwest of Lake George, Colorado.
The project lies east of Forest Road 225 north of National Forest Round Mountain Campground. Work will start in early February 2024 and is expected to last approximately four months.
Mechanized thinning with heavy equipment will be utilized. Mechanical thinning is often used in conjunction with prescribed burns, which can be used to significantly reduce the amount of fuel in an area.
Together, these techniques can help to reduce the risk of wildfire, promote forest health, and provide a range of other ecological benefits.
Cannonball 1 links previous and future fire mitigation projects in the Badger Flats area. Future mechanized thinning is planned for the west side of Forest Road 225 as well as prescribed burning to reduce surface fuel loading and reduce fire intensity.
“Reducing hazardous fuels lowers fire intensity and the risk of catastrophic wildland fires which minimizes the risk to firefighter and public safety,” said South Park District Ranger Josh Voorhis. “In the ongoing effort to create and sustain resilient landscapes, fire management personnel on the PSICC implement a variety of mechanical and prescribed fire projects.”
Logs resulting from the thinning will be required to be hauled off National Forest lands and utilized for Forest products. For additional questions, please contact the South Park Ranger District at (719) 836-2031.
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