Crestone Charter School now better prepared for a wildfire

CRESTONE – On May 12, the Colorado State Forest Service and a contingent of local volunteers helped make the Crestone Charter School better prepared for potential wildfire. The school’s wildfire risk was reduced via a local contractor thinning and pruning trees that had been marked by the CSFS, with 20 volunteers providing labor to deal with the resulting wood and “slash.”

The Shumei International Institute also worked on transplanting landscaping shrubs away from the school to reduce the amount of flammable vegetation close to the school.

“Our office depends on opportunities like this to help educate landowners so they understand how to be better prepared for wildfires,” said Adam Moore, a forester with the CSFS Alamosa Field Office.

Moore continued, “I encourage citizens to visit the CCS to look at what a well done mitigation project in a pinion-juniper forests looks like.”

The event started in the morning with members of the public learning about defensible space from the CSFS. Other parents and community members then got to work hauling cut trees to a wood chipper or to a firewood pile. Volunteers took a lunch break of soup and bread provided by the Crestone Mountain Zen Mountain Retreat Center, and during the afternoon they continued to haul woody material.

“This event made the school safer from wildfires, educated the public and will hopefully raise money for the school,” said Marie-Louise Baker, director of the CCS.

Firewood and posts generated by the thinning project will be available to purchase from the school. Please contact Marie-Louise Baker at the CCS for purchasing, 719-256-4907.

Quick facts about the event:

• 20 volunteers, including three community members, three school staff, four students, 10 parents, two members of the Crestone Fire Department and one Crestone Trustee.

• Volunteer efforts saved the school approximately $2,100.

• The project was also made possible by $1,250 in donations, to cover chainsaw and chipping labor. An additional anonymous donor will be covering any additional expenses.

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) provides professional forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. For more information, visit csfs.colostate.edu.