Wildfire mitigation happens at many scales, including around the home. The Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative (ARWC) is partnering with Lake County, Colorado State Forest Service, Leadville/Lake County Fire-Rescue, and Lake County Conservation District to help empower our community to take action to protect their homes and properties before a wildfire ignites. The program assists residents who wish to reduce slash build-up on their properties, but lack proper disposal options. By bringing staff and equipment into high-risk communities to provide support, we hope to help increase the pace and scale of home hardening and defensible space creation, ultimately reducing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires in our communities.
IMPORTANT INFO:
Pile slash alongside roads
12” maximum diameter, small trees may be left whole
Pile slash with cut ends facing in one direction (see photo)
Piles should be laid in low rows no higher than 4’ tall
Keep track of how many hours you spend mitigating (cutting, hauling, stacking), and the approximate acres mitigated.
Landowners do not need to be onsite on the Chipper Day to participate!
No roots, root wads, dirt, rocks, weeds, trash, foreign material or lumber of any kind. Make sure your trees don’t have nails or metal in them!
Piles or material not meeting specifications will not be chipped