For more than 20 years foresters have carried out critical work on nearly 1800 acres that has reduced wildfire risk and benefited the local economy.
Foresters in the Steamboat Springs Field Office and many partners have worked tirelessly to restore and protect North Routt County’s forests. They strategically created and funded projects across boundaries to complete the work where it needs to happen, whether on federal, state, county or private lands. Through a combination of timber sales, service projects and grant funding, the Colorado State Forest Service has improved nearly 1,800 acres of land, ensuring healthier forests, safer communities and a thriving local economy.
This ongoing effort isn’t just about trees — it’s about people. Routt County has about 25,000 permanent residents, and another 500,000 visitors flock to the area each year, most notably to ski in the winter months. But Pearl Lake and Steamboat Lake state parks, where some of the forest health projects have occurred, also welcome thousands of hikers, anglers, paddle-boarders, campers and snowshoers among other recreators annually. Reducing fuels such as the dead trees left over from the mountain pine beetle epidemic makes these recreation areas safer and more enjoyable, bolstering the local recreation economy at the same time.
These efforts also strengthen the connection to the wood utilization industry. Timber sales have generated sawtimber, posts, poles and firewood, fueling local businesses and supporting regional mills like Colorado Timber Resources, Saratoga Forest Management and The Mill, a woman-owned business that processes native Colorado lumber.
Forest management projects in North Routt County
The CSFS Steamboat Springs Field Office has overseen these critical projects for at least the last 20 years. And the numbers tell the story: 70 acres of treated land on Bureau of Land Management property, 1,205 acres on private land, 177 acres on state land and 282 acres on U.S. Forest Service land. And the work is far from over — hundreds more acres are currently under contract or in the planning stages.
All the projects have the same goals:
- Clearing heavy fuel loads left behind by the devastating mountain pine beetle epidemic.
- Salvaging beetle-killed pine while it still holds commercial value.
- Reducing wildfire risk while improving overall forest and watershed health.
- Protecting essential infrastructure and other high-value areas from potential disaster.
This work has only been possible by coordinating with many partners. The CSFS is uniquely positioned to bring federal, state, local and private landowners together to get work done in Colorado’s forests. Through programs like the Good Neighbor Authority and grants like the Forest Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation, CSFS foresters can work across land ownership boundaries to improve forest health on a larger scale. And in North Routt County, there are many partners working together: USFS, BLM, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, North Routt Fire Protection District, Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, homeowner associations and private landowners.
What’s happening in North Routt County isn’t just forest management — it’s a commitment to the future. Forest stewardship is a long-term endeavor, so the work to make these communities more fire resistant will continue, ensuring that these landscapes remain strong, resilient and beneficial for generations to come.
Forest health projects in North Routt County
- Steamboat Lake and Pearl Lake state parks infrastructure protection and mountain pine beetle mitigation
- USFS Mining Claims GNA Timber Sale
- BLM 62 GNA Timber Sale
- USFS Argentine GNA Timber Sale
- USFS North Lake GNA Timber Sale
- North Routt Fire Protection District FRWRM
- Multiple CSFS work on private lands
- Headwaters of the Colorado Initiative
