Shanahan Ridge Forest Restoration Project
The Shanahan Ridge project area is located on the western edge of the City of Boulder. Within just a quarter mile of the project there are over 200 homes, multiple schools, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research campus. The treatment area is a low elevation ponderosa pine forest that has experienced fire suppression for over 100 years. Thinning efforts targeted small and medium diameter trees that created extensive ladder fuels and overly dense stands of trees. The project reduced large patches of contiguous tree canopies, enhanced large meadows, and reduced the overall fuel load in the area. The treated forest also provides more effective habitat for native plants and wildlife and serves as a strategic fuel break on the western edge of the City. This thinning project fits in with an additional 300+ acres of thinning that’s been completed in the Shanahan Ridge area over the past 15 years. This work was partially funded by a State Fire Assistance-WUI Grant.
Project Goals:
- Tree density and fuels reduction
- Increase in spatial heterogeneity of openings and tree groups
- Fire behavior modification
- Wildlife habitat and native plant community enhancement
Project status:
In progress, completion by Nov 2021
Partner(s):
Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, Â Colorado State Forest Service & Boulder County Fireshed