On February 12, 2008, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed an Executive Order to create the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council. The purpose of the Council is to coordinate and lead efforts that address the mountain pine beetle epidemic and other threats to Colorado’s 24.4 million acres of forestland.

Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council

About the Council

• Council Members
• Executive Order (pdf)
• Meeting Minutes & Materials
• News Releases
• Vision & Guiding Principles (pdf)

References & Pertinent Websites

• Offices of the Governor
• Colorado Department of Natural Resources
• Colorado State Forest Service

In February 2008, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter created the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council to coordinate and lead efforts that address threats to Colorado’s 24.4 million acres of forestland. Key objectives of the Council are to facilitate fire-resilient communities, restore and maintain forest health across the state, and ensure consensus-oriented forest management that contributes to local economic sustainability, including private sector opportunities.

The Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council is composed of a diverse group of stakeholders including representatives from state and federal agencies, local government, forestry collaboratives, non-governmental organizations, forest industry, water providers and the academic community.

The Council is co-chaired by Colorado State Forester Jeff Jahnke and Mike King, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, two of the foremost experts on forestry and natural resources issues in Colorado.

Building a Vision and Guiding Principles

In March 2009, the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council created a Vision and Guiding Principles to provide a framework that will help ensure the effective, long-term stewardship of Colorado’s forests. This framework can serve as a touchstone for all forestry partners to guide individual and collective decisions that benefit Colorado’s current and future forests.

Colorado’s forests provide a wealth of ecological, social and economic values that are important to our state’s heritage, high quality of life and economic health. Sound management of Colorado’s forests is important to ensure the continued flow of these many benefits, including improved air and water quality, plant and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, grazing, renewable energy and diverse wood products. In addition, the Council is working to address the current condition of many forests in Colorado, which has left them vulnerable to wildfire, insects, disease and other forms of large-scale disturbance that threaten their sustainability.

To address these pressing challenges in the short term, the Council is working in a focused and coordinated manner to ensure that limited resources are invested most effectively across the state. This coordinated approach should build on and strengthen collaborative, locally based efforts where they exist, and encourage the formation of such efforts where they do not.

Over the long term, the Council will endeavor to achieve a balanced approach to Colorado’s forests that recognizes both human and environmental needs across the state, and ensures the sustainability of forest resources and benefits for current and future generations.