In Huerfano County, thoughtful planning has reduced wildfire risk and improved conditions at the Cucharas River headwaters
Huerfano County, in southern Colorado, is one of the state’s original counties, founded in 1861. The county is named for Huerfano Butte, it’s known for the Spanish Peaks and it’s home to about 7,000 Colorado residents. Huerfano County is also the site of an essential project to protect the critical Cucharas River watershed from high severity wildfire: the Panadero Good Neighbor Authority Stewardship project.
The Panadero project area is on the San Isabel National Forest, and it abuts multiple private land parcels as well as common areas of the Panadero Property Owners Association. These private lands have been treated in the recent past with various funding sources to tie together forest treatments across boundaries. The project area also includes the headwaters of the Cucharas River, which supplies water to residents of La Veta, Walsenburg and Cuchara.
Good Neighbor Authority
The Good Neighbor Authority allows states, counties and tribes to conduct projects on federal lands for critical forest management work. The CSFS frequently partners with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management under this authority.
Understanding the risks of overly dense forests
Over time, the forests off State Highway 12 just south of the village of Cuchara built up. Dense stands of trees — vulnerable to insect and disease outbreaks — created a crowded tree canopy that could allow wildfire to spread rapidly and intensely. Thick vegetation grew up under the trees and could act as ladder fuels, allowing wildfire to easily move from the ground up into the tree canopy.
These forest conditions raised concerns among federal and private landowners about the consequences of potential wildfire in the area. It spelled danger for the headwaters of the Cucharas River, threatening the local water supply. And these conditions heightened the risk of wildfire to lives, homes and other infrastructure like roads and buildings in the rural communities.
Taking a strategic approach to reduce wildfire risk
Over the last several years, private landowners and the Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection have used Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation grants to reduce fuels in parcels adjacent to the Panadero project area. Work was completed in June 2025, but the planning began years earlier when staff in the CSFS La Veta Field Office worked with the USFS San Carlos Ranger District to plan treatments on federal lands in the area.
- Identified four key units
- Marked off 139 acres for thinning
- Implemented several forestry techniques: cut-to-length logging systems, mastication and machine piling
Focusing on these specific acres next to private lands that have already removed excess vegetation results in an entire landscape of reduced wildfire risk and improved forest resilience. This strategic approach protects the Cucharas watershed, local infrastructure, and nearby homes and properties. It also supports ideal wildlife habitat with a more open forest and improves recreation opportunities like hiking, camping and hunting.
The many benefits of forest management
Strategic, collaborative forest management does more than just reduce wildfire risk. It sustains clean water supplies, provides beautiful areas to enjoy our natural wonders and safeguards the Colorado lifestyle for future generations.
Video credits: Amy Bulger, producer; Jared Fleming, drone pilot