Colorado State Forest Service Remains the Lead State Agency for Forestry, Wildfire Mitigation Information

Following recent changes related to the state’s wildfire command and control duties, the Colorado State Forest Service continues to be the lead state agency providing forest stewardship and wildfire mitigation assistance to private landowners.

On July 1, wildfire management and prescribed fire responsibilities transferred from the CSFS to the Colorado Department of Public Safety – centralizing the state’s fire management functions into a single, statewide point of contact for wildfire management. The transition occurred after the Colorado General Assembly passed a bill in the 2012 session, following a joint recommendation from Gov. John Hickenlooper and Colorado State University President Tony Frank.

“This transition will allow the Colorado State Forest Service to concentrate even greater efforts on forest management and forestry outreach objectives,” said Frank. “We look forward to strengthening our focus on helping landowners and communities accomplish sound forestry practices on their land to achieve their stewardship objectives.”

As a service and outreach agency in the Warner College of Natural Resources at CSU, the Colorado State Forest Service remains committed to its core mission of achieving “stewardship of Colorado’s diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations.” The forest management, applied research, education and outreach aspects of the CSFS remain with CSU and are fully available to agencies, organizations and landowners. The CSFS also will continue to provide technical assistance and outreach related to home and community protection from wildfires, through its State Office in Fort Collins and 17 districts around the state.

As in the past, CSU and the CSFS will continue to work closely with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to achieve the greatest benefit for Colorado’s citizens.

“We will continue to offer every available resource to Colorado landowners to help them manage their forested lands and urban trees, and to ensure that they have the knowledge to fully prepare for future wildfires,” said Jeff Jahnke, state forester and director of the CSFS.

For more information about the recent transition and landowner resources related to forestry and wildfire mitigation, go to www.csfs.colostate.edu.
-30-