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The national database of state and local wildfire hazard mitigation programs
serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and
programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through
the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. If
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Title: |
Cedar Mesa Ranches, CO - A Subdivision Fire Plan
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Type: |
Fuelbreaks
Community Planning
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Jurisdiction: |
Subdivision
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State: |
Colorado
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Program Description: |
Cedar Mesa Ranches, CO
Background
Cedar Mesa Ranches is a new subdivision located near the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park, in Montezuma County, Colorado. The area is thickly vegetated with a pinon pine/juniper forest type, and prone to fire started by lightning strikes. In the past seven summers, there have been five major fires which cumulatively burned 50% of the acreage in Mesa Verde National Park. (For more information on Mesa Verde and its fire history, see this web site.
Concerned about wildfire risk, particularly due to the extreme drought conditions of the past few years, the Cedar Mesa Ranches Homeowners Association began work on a plan to reduce their wildfire hazard risk. James Dietrich, a landscape architect and community developer at Fort Lewis College helped them develop a phase-by-phase plan for fuels reduction treatment at Cedar Mesa. The subdivision is very large, encompassing 2,000 acres with 139 lots, and due to monetary constraints, all hazardous areas cannot be treated at one time.
Cedar Mesa Ranches Fire Plan
To prioritize areas for treatment, Dietrich studied the subdivision�s physical features, overlaying maps of topography, timber density, and lot locations. Based on this information, he suggested thinning timber along the subdivision�s roads to create a 120-foot wide fuel break. The plan calls for creating a fire break along Cedar Mesa�s southern boundary. This boundary lies upslope from Mesa Verde Park, and since prevailing winds are from the south, a fuel break along this boundary will help to protect the subdivision from fires that may start in Mesa Verde. Another fire line will be cleared on the western boundary where Cedar Mesa adjoins BLM land.
The first area to be treated will be along the entrance road, since it is the escape route for residents, and a heavily timbered area. The entire subdivision will be treated over a period of five years, with the highest priority areas being done first. In addition, individual homeowners are encouraged to create defensible space around their own homes. The plans for treating community land do not relieve homeowners of the responsibility to create and maintain their own defensible space. The Homeowners Association hopes to find an open space within the subdivision where all the slash can be hauled and burned communally, so that individual owners do not have to burn their own debris.
One concern is absentee landowners. The association has been sending news articles to these owners, to educate them about the threat of fire, particularly due to beetle-killed pinons that are still standing. The Southwest Colorado Fire Information Clearinghouse is a great source of information on all aspects of fire hazard risk and risk reduction for land owners in Montezuma County and the surrounding area.
Contact Information
For more information, contact James Dietrich at 970/565-7402, Fort Lewis College, Office of Community Services in Montezuma County, or, via email at [email protected].
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