Crossons-Longview Forest Restoration Environmental Assessment

Project Summary

Completion Date: September 2015

Partners

  • US Forest Service

JW Associates completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) through Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) authority for the South Platte Ranger District of the Pike National Forest. The Crossons-Longview Forest Restoration Environmental Assessment will improve the health of the forest and increase its resiliency to catastrophic, high intensity wildfire,  insect epidemics and disease. 
Benefits of the project include:

  • Reduce the potential of catastrophic, high-intensity wildfire with uncontrollable fire behavior, such as active crown fire.

  • Reduce the potential that a wildfire would negatively affect public water supplies from subsequent severe flooding and sedimentation.

  • Improve forest health, vigor, and resilience to large-scale fire, insects and disease.

  • Enhance wildlife habitat through the reduction of the potential for catastrophic wildfires, enhancement of shrublands and aspen habitat, and Pawnee montane skipper habitat. 

  • Increase recreational opportunities in an area which receives high recreation demand locally and from the Denver Metropolitan Area.

Proposed Actions

  • Treatment of approximately 11,700 acres to restore the montane forest ecosystem towards historic conditions.

  • Treatment areas contain Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, mixed conifer, Lodgepole pine, aspens and shrublands.

Outcome of Project

  • Scoping (including 2 scoping meetings)

  • Development and refinement of the proposed action, and issues and alternatives.

  • Writing of Environmental Assessment, including management of the drafting and revising of 8 specialist reports, including the Biological Evaluation/Biological Evaluation Assessment

  • The Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact has been signed and the project is being implemented. 

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Dollar Ridge Fire