Pole Hill Area

Pole Hill is a unique project, managed by the Larimer Conservation District, consisting of eight landowners all within one community. Due to the increased desire to live within the WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) this area is of particular concern. Problems can arise when landowners are not able to manage their land due to increased tree volume costs associated with treatment. Pole Hill had an over abundance of young (roughly 10 year old) trees with extremely dense tree stands. We used Aerial Imagery to analyze the area and to formulate a specific treatment plan that has been of great benefit to the community. To date, 365 acres of whole tree harvesting has been completed, with 235 additional acres planned in 2022-24.

Objectives & Outcomes:

• Wildfire Risk Mitigation, Wildlife Habitat Enhancement, Restored Forest Health, Improved Grazing, Community Protection, Water Infrastructure Protection

Benefits:

• Protection from future wildfire
• Get closer to historical population densities
• Increase aesthetics
• Increased wildlife habitat for turkeys and ungulates

Funding Sources:

• NRCS EQIP, Peaks To People, Northern Water, CSFS FRWRM

Total cost: $1,410,000

Project Timeline: 2019-2024