Forsythe II Prescribed Burn Completed
BOULDER, Colo. (June 13, 2024) – The Forsythe II Prescribed Burn project has been declared out, meaning that all broadcast burning work has been completed for the spring 2024 operational period. During this operational period, which began in early April, fire crews burned 186 acres in three units in the Forsythe II project area. This was the second year of operations for this project, with a total of 450 acres now successfully treated.
The Forsythe II Project is part of the Forest Service’s ongoing effort to improve forest health condition in the Boulder Ranger District as a part of the national Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The entire Forsythe II project area, located 7 miles southwest of Boulder and 5.5 miles east of Nederland, encompasses 18,954 acres; 9,940 of those acres are National Forest System lands,1,892 acres are Boulder County Parks and Open Space lands, and 7,122 acres are private lands.
Prescribed broadcast burning is a cumulation of many years of work. To complete this year’s successful prescribed broadcast burn at Forsythe II, fire crews first completed cutting, piling, pile burning and ground fire preparation work in the area. The final step, on-the-ground broadcast burning, allows the use of intentionally placed fire to increase the forest’s resilience to larger and potentially catastrophic fires.
More than 200 personnel supported this project over the past several months, including local operational support from the Fire Protection Districts of Boulder Mountain, Mountain View, Lefthand, Nederland and Timberline. We were also supported by the Wyoming, San Juan, and Alpine Interagency Hotshot Crews as well as the Blacktooth, Elk Creek, and Burning Mountain Wildland Fire Modules. In addition, we worked closely with the Boulder office of the National Weather Service. Over 50 local forest service staff supported this operational period.
“With the help of our partners, we were able to successfully implement multiple days of burning on Forsythe II. We capitalized on several good weather windows, which helped ensure a safe and successful burning period. We are proud of the work we accomplished this spring towards a healthier landscape, having increased the resilience to large fires for this forest and watershed,” said Ed LeBlanc, South Zone Fire Management Officer.
To receive updates for the Forsythe II Prescribed Burn Project, join our email list and select “Forest Health & Fire: North of Hwy 72 (Coal Creek Canyon) to Hwy 119 Boulder Canyon (Nederland and Magnolia areas)”.
For additional questions, please email us at ARPFireInfo@usda.gov.