Cañon City Field Office – Forest Management & Stewardship
Healthy forests allow for a diverse array of benefits. They provide habitat for many wildlife species, improve water quality, filter pollutants from water and air, enhance outdoor recreational activities, provide wood products and supply jobs that support local economies.
The foresters at the Cañon City Field Office are experienced in the art and science of managing forests for a variety of objectives. Often, management activities can achieve multiple objectives. Sound management typically begins with a good plan.
Our foresters can provide detailed forest inventories that they use to develop long-term stewardship plans, which are designed to meet the landowner’s objectives.
We can also develop planting plans for landowners who want to establish trees on their property.
Forest Inventories
Management Plans
Tree Plantings
Forest management practices often involve the cutting and removal of trees to eliminate insects or disease, alleviate overcrowding, reduce wildfire danger, etc., in order to create the desired forest condition.
We frequently work with loggers and service contractors who implement the recommended forest practices. We can assist landowners in finding a reputable logger or contractor, draft a fair contract, and obtain a fair price for the service or payment for the value of wood products to be harvested.
We can also provide on-site administration of the work performed and guide the practice in a manner that will maintain the integrity of other resource values. We refer to this as using Best Management Practices.
Bear Basin
Log Deck
PMP After Treatment
Forest Product Sales
The Cañon City Field Office also manages the sale of forest products on select state sections located within Fremont, Custer and Pueblo counties. We set up and administer sales of timber, commercial firewood, transplant stock and Christmas trees.
Please contact the Colorado State Forest Service Cañon City Field Office if you have a need for commercial quantities of forest products.
Forest Inventory and Analysis
Our office also provides facilities for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. FIA is a nationwide program that collects data on a wide range of variables affecting forest health and structure.
The Cañon City FIA crew’s area of responsibility differs from the district’s region. It varies by year, but generally covers from the west side of the Sangre de Cristos, east to the border and the Highway 50 corridor, south to the border.
More Information
Please visit the CSFS FIA Program.