Description

A pilot project was conducted in the Trout West watersheds of the Pike National Forest in Central Colorado. Maps and interpretations were developed to support prioritization, planning, and effects analysis for fuel and ecosystem restoration to achieve National Fire Plan Cohesive Strategy options. The area is about 65,000 hectares (135,000 acres) in size and representative of Southern Rocky Mt. Province ponderosa pine ecosystems. Fire regime potential vegetation-fuel types, departure from central tendency of the historical range of variability (HRV), fire regime conditionclass, wildfire ignition risk, wildland urban interface, fuel models, and associated information were mapped. An analysis was conducted indicating that treatment of about 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of high and moderate HRV departure areas, and maintenance of about 2000 hectares (5000 acres) of low departure areas, could achieve condition class 1 over a 5-year period. Treatment and maintenance focused on a landscape design substantially reduced wildfire risk to both wildland urban interface and ecosystems. A treatment option focused only on wildland urban interfaceand buffer areas did not substantially reduce risk to communities or ecosystems when compared to the no-treatment option.