2020-Chainsaw Training & Certification Workshop

Start Date-End Date: 09/11/2020-09/13/2020 Land Manager Office: USFS - South Platte Ranger District Land Manager Contact: Chris Kuennen Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: USFS - South Platte Ranger District Summary: This training is full. If you pay the fee you will be placed on a wait list. To be placed on the wait list without paying the course fee, contact Dan Williams at dan@voc.org Description: Priority registration will be given to VOC volunteers or those interested in participating in VOC's chainsaw projects. This training will be held at a TBD location within 1-1.5 hour drive of the Denver Metro area. All others should contact Dan Williams at dan@voc.org or 303-715-1010 ext. 117 prior to registration. Whether they're used for thinning fuel loads in forests, removing invasive species, clearing blow downs or much more, chainsaws are an indispensable tool in many different natural resource and trail management applications. The focus of this 3-day workshop will be on saw safety; bucking, limbing, and felling principles and techniques; overview of the tools of the trade as well as tool care and maintenance; hazard analysis and situational awareness; and did we mention safety (lots on sawing safety!). Using the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) Curriculum, trainees will be recommended for certification up to a "B" Sawyer skill level for Felling and Bucking.Please note that certification level is at the discretion of the workshop evaluator based on demonstrated field proficiency and is not guaranteed. This is not an S-212 class. Please contact Dan Williams with any questions. About Outdoor Stewardship Institute (OSI) Originally created in collaboration with other organizations, OSI offers affordable, in-depth training courses for volunteers and employees from any organization to learn or improve their stewardship skills and prepare for a variety of leadership roles. Approximately 300 people each year receive OSI training in topics such as volunteer crew leadership; trail design, construction, and maintenance; ecological, habitat, and fire restoration; crosscut saw skills and more. OSI is a program of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.voc.org/osi or call 303-715-1010. Latitude/Longitude: Additional Information: Required Equipment Heavy-duty, cut-resistant or leather, waterproof or water-repellent, 8-inch-high laced boots with nonskid soles Long sleeves Pants (no fraying on the boot overlap) First Aid Kit Hearing protection for 85 decibels or higher (available to participants in limited quantities) Leather gloves (available to participants in limited quantities) 6pt hard hat (available to participants in limited quantities) Eye protection (available to participants in limited quantities) You're welcome to bring a saw or chaps if you own them. However, VOC is planning to provide these to trainees as part of the training. Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: High Altitude Project: Desired Number of Volunteers: 8 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 27 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 24 Total Unique Volunteers: 9 Total Volunteer Hours: 204 Staff Hours: 34 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: a great training weekend! Mark led a full day classroom portion of the training on Friday. The presentation included information from S212, MTDC, and the new curriculum that the Forest Service is creating that isnt out yet. This new training is likely a couple years out but some sections are ready that they re already including in trainings. The new training will be much more customizable to groups like VOC so that students dont have to go through all the fire information if they are not fire fighters, for example. Chris recruited some help from the Buffalo Creek Fores Service Fire Crew to run stations for students who have never touched a saw before. Here students were able to practice turning on the saw, learning the parts and how to use them, do some bucking and limbing, practice face cuts and back cuts before doing them on a full standing tree. This was extremely valuable and rare. Chris and Mark were able to spend their time with those who have been certified before or had prior experience with a saw. We were working in a unit of of Kelsey Creek Rd (FSR 536). the area Chris picked was better than he thought it was. There was a lot of variety in trees so we were able to practice different techniques. All around a great weekend and i hope we can continue to put this training on with Mark and Chris. Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: none! Description of Work Completed: