The UP, US Forest Service, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute –Colorado State University (CFRI), local conservation groups and interested members of the community have come together to enhance the resiliency, diversity and productivity of the native ecosystem in the Uncompahgre Mesas area of the Uncompahgre Plateau, CO using best available science and collaboration. To learn more about the Unc Mesas project, click here to download our white paper.
The first phase of this comprehensive restoration effort will focus on a 17,000-acre landscape. The area is comprised of spruce-fir, aspen, mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forest types. The UP was successful in receiving two National Forest Foundation grants to facilitate this project.
Main Project Goals: (To download a copy of our goals and objectives, click here.)
• Collaborate. The project seeks to bring together individuals with different perspectives, experiences, and expertise to develop innovative resource management alternatives.
• Restore ecosystem structure, composition and function. The protection and restoration of ecosystem structure, composition and function encourages viable populations of all native species in natural patterns of abundance and distribution.
• Develop and establish research demonstration sites. Research demonstration sites aid in the development of environmentally sound, economically sustainable and socially acceptable approaches to forest ecosystem restoration.
The main workgroup members include:
- Colorado Forest Restoration Institute – Colorado State University
- U.S. Forest Service – Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
- Colorado Division of Wildlife
- Colorado State Forest Service
- Colorado Wild
- Western Colorado Congress
- Audubon Society
- Interested Community Members
- Uncompahgre Partnership
Restoring Resiliency: With the help of CFRI, historical forest composition and structure data (pre 1880) were collected by workgroup members in areas representative of the major vegetation types within the project area. This data provided a starting point for designing forest management and restoration treatments that encourage healthy forested landscapes that are resilient to change while contributing to the human communities that benefit from the forests’ production of water, timber, forage, wildlife, recreation, and beauty. To download a copy of the CFRI report click here.
A long term ‘citizen scientist’ multi?] party ecological monitoring program has been initiated that encourages participation from members of the community. The workgroup members and volunteers began to collect data in August 2009. The protocol will involve monitoring of vegetation pre-treatment, post-treatment, 3 years post-treatment and 5 years post-treatment. Permanent transect markers will be established to continue monitoring efforts indefinitely. The goal of the monitoring effort will be to determine if desired conditions have been met, to inform future restoration efforts and to continue to educate and involve workgroup members in forest restoration.To download a copy of the monitoring protocol, click here.
On The Ground Treatments: The Forest Service completed the Environmental Assessment for the project in August 2009. Commercial timber harvest and mechanical treatments will take place on about 6,000—8,000 acres within ponderosa pine, aspen, mixed conifer and spruce?]fir forest types, producing an estimated 17,000?]24,000 hundred cubic feet of commercial timber and generating $0.6 million. Timber from higher elevation forest types, with greater commercial value, will be extracted to offset the costs of restoration treatments in lower elevation stands through Stewardship Contracting. Approximately $0.7
million will need to be sought in grant funding or additional appropriated funding to complete the planned project. To download a copy of the '2010 Implementation Plan' as presented by Matt Tuten, USFS, at the April 16, 2010 workgroup meeting, click here. (3.9 MB)
Measuring the diameter of a stump (a remnant of the pre-1880 forest)
A team of volunteers running a transect in the aspen-mixed conifer
Tim, USFS, viewing fire scars on a ponderosa pine
Relaxing in the evening after a hard day's work
