Project to Reduce White Cloud Hazardous Fuel

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Summit County, Co - The Colorado State Forest Service is continuing fuels reduction work east of the Ski Resort in the White Cloud/Mark Warrior's area of south Breckenridge, in collaboration with the US Forest Service (USFS) and Summit County.

Work began in August 2021 and is expected to be completed in early winter 2022. The design parameters for this project are based on the 2011 Breckenridge Forest Health and Fuels Environmental Assessment.

The White Cloud fuels reduction project's purpose is to connect, improve, and expand a network of current fuel breakers surrounding Breckenridge and Blue River. The project will minimize the amount and connection of fuels inside the project area, as well as the risk of wildfire in the surrounding neighborhood and the larger Breckenridge and Blue River towns.

All dead and living lodgepole pine trees with a diameter of 5 inches at breast height (DBH) will be taken down. Live lodgepole pine trees with a live crown ratio of at least 60% will be kept if they are less than 5 inches DBH and are not sick or unhealthy. A mosaic of half-acre or larger leaf patches may be left in the treatment area to give wildlife habitat and break up the clearcut.

In the Feathered Edge treatment area, more trees will be kept. There will be no entry into Carter Gulch or the nearby swamps. To facilitate operations, other isolated live trees may need to be taken down.

Following project completion, when there is considerable snow cover in the winters, USFS employees will burn these heaps.

Monday through Saturday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., all operations are approved. Upper White Cloud Dr., Gold King Way, Spruce Creek Rd., and Crown Dr. will be used by loaded log trucks to access Highway 9.

Contractor traffic and log trucks may decrease available road space during project work hours, therefore local drivers should use caution.

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