Our Service
Programmatic Areas
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) programmatic areas include forest management, wildland fire, urban and community forestry and conservation education.
Forest Management
Forests, like most natural resources, require proper management to be healthy and productive. Forest management is the practical application of biological, physical, quantitative, managerial, economic, social and policy principals to the regeneration, management, utilization and conservation of forests to meet specific goals and objectives while maintaining the productivity of the forest.
By managing your forest, you can protect water quality, increase habitat diversity for wildlife and increase the growth rate of your trees. In addition, properly managed forests can provide income, reduce the risk of wildland fire, help protect trees against insects and diseases, and even increase the value of your property.
Wildland Fire
With an estimated 1 million Coloradans living in areas at high risk from wildland fire, the CSFS began focusing heightened attention on the wildland-urban interface and on projects designed to reduce hazardous fuels through cross-boundary landscape-scale management.
The 2002 fire season, the worst in the state's recorded history, underscored the need for this approach. More than 2,000 fires burned 502,000 acres, forced the evacuation of 81,000 residents and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures.
Urban & Community Forestry
Communities also have forests. Trees appear along streets and greenways, and 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.
More about urban & community forestry
Conservation Education
Promoting public understanding of the role and value of Colorado's forests and other natural resources is critical to the mission of the CSFS. The agency is non-regulatory and our accomplishments proceed from our educational approach.
Conservation Education focuses on developing scientifically-sound messages and materials for use by personnel, partners and Colorado citizens. Our messages and materials are driven by the agency's strategic priorities.