2011-Pine Beetle Forest Restoration: Tree Planting at Blue River Campground

Start Date-End Date: 05/14/2011-05/14/2011 Land Manager Office: Land Manager Contact: Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Pine Beetles are changing the way our Colorado high-country looks. What can you do to help? Description: FAMILY FRIENDLY Pine Beetles are changing the way our Colorado high-country looks. What can you do to help? Join VOC and the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District to replant trees and rehabilitate Forest Service campsites that have been closed after pine beetle mitigation (logging). The Blue River Campground is a popular area that has been heavily affected by the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Replanting trees in the campground will improve the camping experience by providing more shelter and privacy in the campsites. It will also help to thin new stands of lodge pole pine, which mitigate the forest health problems that precipitated our current pine beetle issues. Bring the whole family and enjoy a weekend in Summit County working to rebuild our forests. There is no fee for this project. Lunch will be provided. Latitude/Longitude: 39.5892257, -106.1107559 Additional Information: The site was covered in snow a week before the project so we were lucky to be able to get nice weather to melt snow and still complete project. Might push to have a later date project if we can in the future but of course we were snowed out on our June 2010 project on the second day so it is just a risk really no matter when you schedule it. Volunteers continue to love pine beetle planting projects and the shorter day was perfect to complete work and allow everyone to get home at a comfortable time. Camping Available: Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: Desired Number of Volunteers: 125 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 76 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 22 Total Volunteer Days: 101 Total Unique Volunteers: 98 Total Volunteer Hours: 1005 Staff Hours: 0 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Forest Service talked about the current status of the pine beetle epidemic and what is currently being done in Summit County. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: The site was covered in snow a week before the project so we were lucky to be able to get nice weather to melt snow and still complete project. Might push to have a later date project if we can in the future but of course we were snowed out on our June 2010 project on the second day so it is just a risk really no matter when you schedule it. Volunteers continue to love pine beetle planting projects and the shorter day was perfect to complete work and allow everyone to get home at a comfortable time. Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: Over 100 volunteers joined VOC and the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District on May 14 to plant 2500 lodge pole and blue spruce trees at the Blue River Campground in Silverthorne, CO. This collaborate effort to replace trees destroyed by the mountain pine beetle epidemic drew individuals, families and groups who enjoyed a sunny day of planting trees, meeting other volunteers and eating fabulous chili. Thanks to everyone who came out for a great day of protecting Colorado