CSFS offers free workshop

ALAMOSA — The Colorado State Forest Service, Alamosa Field Office will host a workshop focused on the CSFS Conservation Seedling Program. The workshop will be held at the Alamosa Field Office located at 129A Santa Fe Avenue in Alamosa, near the intersection with Highways 160 and 17 on Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The workshop is free of charge and intended for local landowners interested in improving their properties with conservation seedling plantings. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

“Our goal with these workshops is to provide assistance to landowners with respect to their specific tree planting needs,” said Adam Moore, a forester with the CSFS Alamosa Field Office. “New customers are sometimes overwhelmed by the list of 40 different species we offer, and need a little assistance in choosing the right species for their project”. 

The workshop will cover:

* Limiting factors that affect tree survival, such as drought tolerance versus water needs and soil conditions.

* Appropriate species and planting designs for each landowner’s goals, such as creating windbreaks or improving wildlife habitat.

* Planting techniques and helpful tips to increase seedling survival.

The CSFS Conservation Seedling Program offers a variety of low-cost seedling trees suitable for constructing these windbreaks. All seedlings are grown from high-elevation seed stock at the CSFS Nursery in Fort Collins. For over 40 years, the CSFS Alamosa Field Office has been working with local landowners, providing sound advice and assistance with constructing both windbreaks and living snow fences.

The Colorado State Forest Service (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. The CSFS provides technical forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS Alamosa District serves Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Rio Grande, Saguache, and Mineral counties.