Colorado State Forest Service Opens New Field Office in Rifle

The Colorado State Forest Service recently opened a new field office in Rifle, Colo., to better serve Colorado residents in the northwest part of the state. The new Rifle Field Office allows the CSFS to address forest health concerns and reduce wildfire risk in priority areas, such as the Roaring Fork Valley, the Colorado River Valley, and the White River Watershed.

“The forests and watersheds around Rifle are priority landscapes for the CSFS to protect watersheds and communities from wildfire,” said Matt Schiltz, supervisory forester of the Rifle Field Office. “We have seen an uptick in bark beetle activity in this area in recent years driven by warming temperatures, which has also degraded forest health and raised wildfire risk. The Grizzly Creek Fire of 2020 is a stark reminder of how a fire can impact our water, infrastructure, and recreation, and the CSFS wants to be sure we have staff strategically placed across Colorado to protect these critical resources.”

Rifle, Colo., is an ideal location for a new field office to assist landowners in these areas as it is centrally located in underserved priority landscapes. The CSU Extension Office for Garfield County has graciously provided the CSFS with office space as a base of operations for the new office in Rifle. This is an excellent fit as CSU Extension and the CSFS are long-time partners and share a similar emphasis on conservation practices at local levels.

“The CSFS staff in Rifle is excited to develop a program of work that places a strong emphasis on on-the-ground forest management and wildfire mitigation at an increased pace and scale,” Schiltz said.

For forestry and wildfire mitigation assistance in Pitkin, Garfield or Rio Blanco counties, contact the Rifle Field Office at 970-625-3969 or [email protected]. The office is located at 1001 Railroad Ave., Rifle, Colo. For forestry and wildfire mitigation assistance in Mesa or Delta counties, contact the Grand Junction Field Office at 970-248-7325 or CSFS_GrandJunction@mail.colostate.edu.