Final Decision released for Black Diamond Landscape Resiliency and Risk Reduction Project
Fort Collins, Colo., (Feb. 13, 2024) – The Canyon Lakes District Ranger of the Roosevelt National Forest has signed the final decision for the Black Diamond Landscape Resiliency and Risk Reduction Project located in northern Larimer County. This collaborative, landscape-scale project is within one of the identified landscapes in the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, addressing at-risk areas.
“We are happy to release this decision and move forward with implementation of this important, collaborative project.” Acting Canyon Lakes District Brian Sugg said. “As we prioritize our work within this project’s area, we will continue to engage with our partners and our neighboring communities.”
The Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, a key partner in this project, has developed a StoryMap in partnership with the Forest Service for Black Diamond that has additional information and will continually be updated as progress on this project occurs. This site will be key as we move forward with implementation to continue collaboration.
The Black Diamond project creates a framework for National Forest management activities across the landscape that will create a more resilient forest, maintain healthy watersheds, complement work on neighboring lands and support local Community Wildfire Protection Plans. Implementation will include thinning the forest and prescribed fire, among other forest health treatments. Utilizing a “conditions-based approach,” this project allows the Forest Service to be responsive to future community requests for forest management in this area while remaining adaptive to a changing environment and protecting forest resources. Project documents, including the final Environmental Assessment, are available online.
This collaborative project includes just over 265,000 acres of land, with 190,177 acres of that being National Forest System lands. The remaining acres are comprised of local, state or private ownership. Although treatments may be collaboratively implemented across ownership boundaries, the Forest Service’s decision only addresses activities on National Forest System lands.
The final decision was released following an objection period.
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Photo credit: Magic Feather Prescribed Burn, 2021 (Evan Barrientos)