Salida Field Office – Forest Management & Stewardship
Caring for Your Forested Land
A healthy forest protects water quality, wildlife and the beautiful view we tend to take for granted. Forest components include trees, shrubs, grasses, soil and wildlife. Is the forest you live in resilient to heavy rains, bark beetles or fire?
Our office provides the following services to landowners in Chaffee and Lake counties:
- Tree Identification: Within the Upper Arkansas River watershed, five species of pine grow, as well as two species of spruce, sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir, Rocky Mountain juniper and a few deciduous trees.
- Tree & Forest Health Assessment: Just because the needles are green does not necessarily mean the tree is healthy. A better measure is to look at annual tree growth and needle length and leaf size. We can also check for insect damage and disease.
- Branch & Small Tree Chipping: The Salida Field Office has a Vermeer chipper available for hire with two operators.
- Designate Trees to be Cut or Saved: This is based on the landowner’s objectives and sound forest management practices.
- Forest Management Plans: Based on the landowner’s goals for the forest, a forester first gathers information about current forest conditions. The management plan recommends steps needed to reach the landowner’s goals.
- Setup & Administration of Forest Product Sales or Contracted Services: A forester can guide you through the process and be responsible for certain aspects of the project, such as marking the trees to be cut. Or, we can take the project from start to finish.
Our foresters are available by appointment to visit your property. Recommendations are based on sound forest management and your objectives for your land.
We also welcome landowners to call or stop by our office. You may bring samples to our office, or provide photos so we can better assist you with your questions.