|
|
| |
| |
For
Communities
About Communities
. Protect Your Community from
Wildfire
Community Wildfire Protection
Plans . Urban & Community
Forestry
Volunteer Activities
. Publications for Communities
. Community Links
Note: You
will need Acrobat
5.0, or higher to open the following PDF files.
|
About Communities
Trees are important to all communities in our
state. Whether you live on the eastern plains,
in a mountain town, in a forested subdivision,
or in the Denver metropolitan area, trees have
an impact on your community and your life. Trees
can be an asset or a liability.
Trees improve our air, protect our water, reduce
heating and cooling costs, and enhance economic
sustainability by increasing property values.
Trees are also an aesthetic benefit – they
add pleasure to our living and working environments
However, trees can become liabilities if they
are not cared for and maintained.
Natural disasters are not uncommon to Colorado,
as we experienced in 2002 when wildfires raced
throughout our forests, subdivisions, and communities.
But natural disasters are not limited to wildfires
– Colorado has been beset by hail, tornados,
wind storms, snow storms, and insect and disease
outbreaks. All of these adversities take a toll
on the trees within our communities.
Managing the forests within our communities will
reduce the liabilities – and enhance the
benefits.
Learn about Fuelbreak
Guidelines for Forested Subdivisions & Communties
(611 KB PDF).
Top
|
Protect Your Community from Wildfire
Wildland-Urban Interface
The wildland-Urban interface (WUI) is any area
where man-made improvements built close to, or
within, natural terrain and flammable vegetation
and where high potential for wildland fires exists.
Wildfires in our region are a natural part of
the ecosystems and help restore and maintain healthy
forests.
During the past few decades, population growth
in the interface has increased. Homes, businesses,
and subdivisions are being built in forested lands
that have historically seen regular fires and
even need them to remain healthy. In order to
preserve human life and property, firefighters
have worked hard to suppress and control fires;
this has had a negative effect on functioning
ecosystems.
To help return forests to a more “natural”
state, it is important that land managers, property
owners, and communities work together. Buildings
and the surrounding property should be adapted
so that, when fires burn, firefighters can do
their job safely to protect man-made structures
while still allowing fire to take its natural
course in the ecosystems. Allowing natural fires
to occur will help create a healthier forest and
ultimately reduce the risks associated with large
and unmanageable fires.
Learn more about Protecting
Your Home and Forest.
Top
|
Community Wildfire Protection
Plans (CWPPs)
Community Wildfire Protection Plans
are authorized and defined in Title I of the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) passed by Congress
on November 21, 2003 and signed into law by President
Bush on December 3, 2003.
The Healthy Forests Restoration Act places renewed
emphasis on community planning by extending a
variety of benefits to communities with a wildfire
protection plan in place. Critical among these
benefits is the option of establishing a localized
definition and boundary for the wildland-urban
interface (WUI) and the opportunity to help shape
fuels treatment priorities for surrounding federal
and non-federal lands.
The CWPP, as described in the Act, brings together
diverse local interests to discuss their mutual
concerns for public safety, community sustainability,
and natural resources. It offers a positive, solution-oriented
environment in which to address challenges such
as: local firefighting capability; the need for
defensible space around homes and subdivisions;
and, where and how to prioritize land management
– on both federal and non-federal land.
Learn more about Community
Wildfire Protection Plans.
Top
|
Urban & Community Forestry
Communities too, have forests: trees appear along
streets and greenways; in backyards and parks.
These forests enhance the quality of human life
by purifying air, modifying temperature extremes,
reducing noise pollution, improving aesthetic
appeal, and raising real estate values
CSFS is available to help communities with their
tree planting and tree care needs. Technical assistance
includes help in devising plans to maintain and
add to tree resources, and providing information
and workshops on tree care. Caring for our trees
not only protects our investment but provides
benefits for the future.
For more information about how CSFS can help
your community, see Urban
& Community Forestry.
Top
|
Community Volunteer Activities
Check out the Volunteer
Page for upcoming volunteer activities
and information in your community.
Top
|
Publications for Communities
Drought-Tolerant
Trees for Colorado Landscapes (208
KB PDF)
Recommended
Trees for Colorado's Front Range (225
KB PDF)
Recommended
Trees for Colorado's Eastern Plains
(112 KB PDF)
Recommended
Trees for Colorado's SE Plains (310
KB PDF)
Top
|
Community Links
Trees
Are Good
National
Arbor Day Foundation
Colorado
Tree Coalition
TreeLink:
The Urban Forestry Portal
Society
of Municipal Arborists
International
Society of Arboriculture
International
Society of Arboriculture: Rocky Mountain Chapter
USDA
Forest Service: Urban and Community Forestry
WaterSaver.org
Colorado
State University Cooperative Extension
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
