Black Forest Post-Fire Utilization Program
The community within the Black Forest has been impacted significantly from the Black Forest fire that occurred June 2013.
- 14,280 acres were burned
- 500 homes, 200 structures destroyed and thousands damaged
- Two deaths
The costs associated with the fire are staggering.
- Suppression costs: $9.3 million
- Insurance losses: $420.5 million
- Estimated market value loss: $116.3 million (About $29 million in losses from trees lost in the fire)
Additional costs are likely to add up over time. In an effort to help reduce further economic losses to the residents affected by the fire, the Colorado Wood Utilization and Marketing (CoWood) program within Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) has partnered with Golden West Pine Mills, Black Forest Together, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and the Woodland Park district of CSFS to develop and impliment the Black Forest Post-Fire Utilization project. Through this project a sawmill was established within the Black Forest community to help residents remove the burnt timber from their property. By placing the sawmill directly within the community, residents are able to remove the timber economically where it will be utilized for products marketed by Golden West Pine Mills.
Project Partners
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