Project Profile: Silverdale Wildland Forest Management

Silverdale Wildland Project Background

Forest Management in the Silverdale Wildland recreation area was prioritized in the Upper Clear Creek Pre-Wildfire Planning Study. Forest management priorities in the study were based on Colorado State Forest Service database of where forest management activities have occurred in the past. Specific forest management projects listed in the study represent a combination of projects identified in local Community Wildfire Protection Plans and US Forest Service plans.

The total project area at the Guanella Pass/Silver Dale Historic Mining Town Interpretive Site is 47 acres in the area of project FM-1 (see map). The Silverdale Wildland corridor experiences 60-80mph winds, causing trees to blow over and creating ground fuel. These ground fuels need to be removed to reduce the likelihood and intensity of wildfire in the area.

Project Area

Phase 1:

Phase 1 treated 32 acres, and consisted primarily of ground fuels removal.

  • Slash piles: Work crews created small 3’ x 5’ slash piles in groups of 50 that can be controlled and will burn at low intensity, creating biochar. Small piles staged on uphill slope will allow biochar to run-off down slope to be spread during rain events in the spring. Biochar is necessary for soil improvements to bring back a canopy.

  • Aspen grove recovery: Crews are thinning the tree canopy in aspen stands to support the expansion of the groves.

  • Material Reuse: Clear Creek Fire Authority is partnering with Clear Creek County Recreation Department to use tree cuts to rebuild trail bridges. Large tree rounds are being transported to the CCFA building in Dumont for firewood distribution in the community.

Timeline: Completion October 2022; piles will be burned in January/February 2023, as weather conditions allow.

  • Biochar is charred organic matter that is highly porous and stable, making it an advantageous soil amendment.

Phase 2:

Phase 2 of the Silverdale Wildland Forest Management work will shift the Clear Creek Fire Authority crew’s focus toward clearing fuels around power lines in the area.

Timeline: Scheduled to begin May 2023

Silverdale Progress Photos

  • Silver Dale small burn piles for biochar - August 2022

  • Large Rounds for Community Firewood - August 2022

  • Silver Dale Aspen Grove Fuel Removal - August 2022

  • Silver Dale Aspen Grove with Heavy Ground Fuel - August 2022