Riding along the mountain bike trails, I felt exhilarated by the twists and turns through the forest. The rolling paths through the woods brought an intimacy I felt with the pines, firs and aspen trees. So it was a bit of a shock the very next summer to see large swaths of forest completely clear cut. The vast scars to the landscape of West Magnolia could be seen from miles away.
I have to admit that riding the trails didn’t seem near as fun, and it certainly was a lot warmer as the sun beat down on me, reminding me that just a year before trees had shaded my ride.
Such is the quandary of living in the mountains of Colorado, a point brought home in full force as I participated in focus group that debated this topic of fire safety vs. forest beauty. A new Forest Service project proposes similar clear cuts to the south of Nederland above the Big Springs neighborhood as means of protecting the town of Nederland. As one would expect, it is point of contention among residents.
As a resident, and also a former employee of both the Forest Service and the National Park Service, I have mixed emotions on the proposal. Working for the NPS for many years, I can’t help but subscribe towards preserving the ecosystem in the most natural way possible. In national parks, that means only cutting trees deemed hazardous for public safety, or selective cutting, and using prescribed fire to insure forest health and diversity.
Performing 10-acre clear cuts as a means to provide a fire break feels like the easy way out, as opposed to treating the forest with selective cuts and prescribed fires. Clear cuts from the mining era over 100 years ago is what led to the unnatural forest of lodgepole pines all the same size that we have today. What’s to prevent the same thing from happening?
And I have to admit, I wouldn’t be too happy to gaze out my back windows to a clear cut on the nearby hillside.
But I understand the perspective of town officials and the Forest Service of wanting to protect the town from a catastrophic wildfire.
So what’s the solution?
The one thing I learned from the study I participated in is that no one person or group will be the solution. If we truly want to protect the safety of our community, but insure continued forest health, we will all have to work together. That means efforts on the part of all Nederland residents, the town, the Forest Service, and the county. And that means listening respectfully to all opinions, even those in the minority, and being willing to compromise.
Our town’s future depends upon it.
