Before 2010, Engelmann spruce blanketed the Waugh Mountain in northwestern Fremont County. Lodgepole pine, bristlecone pine, Douglas-fir, white fir, ponderosa pine and aspen also covered the landscape. But in the 2010s, Waugh Mountain suffered a devastating spruce bark beetle infestation. The beetles attacked and killed most of the mature Engelmann spruce over the entire landscape. Now the predominantly dead forest poses wildfire risks, so the Colorado State Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management actively work to reduce risks to the natural resources in the area.
When dead trees fall to the ground, they add significant amounts of potential fuel for a wildfire. Severe fire poses risks to water quality, recreation, wildlife habitat and wood products. Mud and landslides after a fire can affect the water quality in the nearby rivers, streams and waterbodies. Many people hike, camp and hunt nearby, and elk, mule deer and wild turkey all live in this area.
A cooperative plan to reduce wildfire risk
Foresters from CSFS and BLM, working cooperatively, identified an area of more than 200 acres where it is feasible to cut and remove dead Engelmann spruce. They delineated 7 cutting units (5 on state land, 1 on BLM land and 1 cross boundary unit) that range in size from 3 to 14 acres to be treated by patch clearcuts. The foresters selected the 7 units based on the high percentage of tree mortality and low percentage of live advanced regeneration. In total 54 acres are planned to be cut and the timber sold.
An old system of logging roads on the mountain from the 1940s-50s provides a basis for accessing the sale area. The team decided on a specific route and made upgrades to improve drainage and allow modern logging equipment to go up and salvaged logs to come down the mountain. The route crosses a portion of the private Stirrup Ranch, the largest private landholder in the area, who is cooperating with the effort to salvage the dead spruce on the mountain.
The cut was initiated in June of 2023. Work in Unit 1 is nearly complete and a spur road has been created into unit B1, which is shared by the BLM and the State. Cooperation between state, federal and private landholders is crucial for improving forest health and reducing the risk of damage from uncharacteristic wildfires.
