The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is offering firewood from the Colorado State Forest in north-central Colorado for $10 per cord. The CSFS is selling self-serve permits for the low fee to encourage citizens to help remove a buildup of dead wood in the area that inhibits new growth and could fuel an intense wildfire. Removing wood will also help reduce logging debris in the vicinity of main roads and trails, to address public safety concerns and improve aesthetics.
The Colorado State Forest has 28,000 acres of lodgepole pine, a majority of which have been impacted in recent years by mountain pine beetles. All of the sites included in the 2017 firewood area are comprised of logging debris from recent harvests of mountain pine beetle-killed trees. Only trees no longer housing live bark beetles or their larvae have been identified for removal, making the wood safe to transport.
Interested woodcutters can buy a $10 permit and pick up a map of the firewood area on a self-serve basis at the CSFS office located at 59228 Highway 14, six miles west of Cameron Pass and adjacent to Ranger Lakes.
Come prepared with a chainsaw and personal protective equipment. A majority of the wood is adjacent to County Road 41 and other forest roads. The wood simply needs to be cut into manageable sizes and hauled off. The CSFS asks that all vehicles pull as far off the road as possible to reduce the risk of an accident.
For more information on the Colorado State Forest firewood program, call (970) 723-4505.