Minutes of Meetings

September 28, 2009 RMNP Headquarters
FMI, ABC, CWPP Joint Meeting with Rocky Mountain Park Superintendent

1. The meeting opened at 9:00. Ron Gosnell introduced the members present to Superintendent Vaughn Baker; Jeff Davis, Stan and Margaret Huntting, Gary McCorkhill, Gary Williams, Edie DeWeese, Jerry and Carol Halsey, Steve Coles, Janet Intrieri and Peter Staddler. Superintendent Baker introduced Ben Bobowski, chief of Resource Stewardship for the National Park, and Mike Lewelling, Fire Management Officer for the National Park
2. Ron explained the purpose of the meeting, which was to expand the understanding and cooperation between the National Park and the Allenspark Area. We share a long common border. We both are fighting the common enemy of beetles, and are trying to be proactive in fire mitigation. The community grant that the National Park awarded last year was most valuable in helping to get the CWPP published and distributed to area landowners.
3. Superintendent Baker discussed some of the projects that the park service is working on. Stimulus funds and a portion of collected fees are being used to reduce the number of hazard trees and fuels. This is a five year plan and can include boundary hazards. The goal is to eliminate hazard trees in areas where people hike, camp and/or park.
4. The park is currently doing some prescribed burns, but these are not popular with neighbors who dislike the smoke that results. There are very strict regulations involved with these burns. They are studying the Wild Basin area at this time.
5. Stan Huntting encouraged more aggressive action in the area of mitigation and beetle control. The portion of the community bordering the park has become more aware of the situation. They are becoming more cognizant of the need for active management of the forests if they are to become healthy forests.
6. Peter Staddler encouraged even more collaboration between the park, the forest services, and the county. We need to keep the message in front of the people, providing them with sources of information, whether from a web site, or people available to help. The sort yard with the air curtain burner has kept records of activity for this season. Getting this information available to people to help them see the progress that has been made, could help the concept of forest management "go viral"!
7. Janet Intrieri talked about getting some help with facilitation - possibly summer interns who could track progress, help groups fill out grant applications, or coordinate neighborhood projects. Many people are willing to do something but lack the ability to figure out just what they need to do.
8. Edie thanked Superintendent Baker for the cooperation that the Allenspark Area has received. Steve Coles added that the community tries to keep a non-adversarial relationship with the different groups involved. Superintendent Baker mentioned that there is a process in place for landowners who border the National Park to get permits to cut hazardous trees that are near their property. This is a non-fee permit.
9. Ron gave Superintendent Baker copies of letters that were written about the sort yard and the air curtain burner and two newspaper articles that pertained to the issues of beetles and fire mitigation. He emphasized that the agencies needed to communicate with each other and find ways to help. This included the Forest Services, and Boulder and Larimer counties. He mentioned the need for trying to facilitate a way to get useful products from all the wood that is being harvested, and Superintendent Baker mentioned that this is also one of the goals the park service is trying to meet.
10. Stan Huntting brought up the problem of the absentee and/or older landowners who will need much more help. They often will not know what to do with their individual properties. These landowners will also need help in carrying out the physical activities involved, as chain saws are usually not a part of their lives.
11. Edie DeWeese asked a question about the promulgation of public information from the park. Superintendent Baker mentioned newsletters and articles, along with the ongoing talks and programs that the park provides. The Allenspark 80510 zip code will be added to the mailings that Mike Lewelling’s office sends out.
12. Superintendent Baker also discussed the need for people to become more aware of the need for the reintroduction of fire into the concept of forest management. This is a difficult idea for the general public to accept since fire prevention has been such an ongoing mind set for so many years.
13. Ron and Stan both mentioned the difficulty with informing people about fire danger conditions. When the fire information signs say that fire danger is extreme in the middle of a driving rain storm, people tend to dismiss them even when they are accurate. The need is for a sign that is electronic and able to be updated by a dispatcher. It is essential that the sign reflect current conditions. Superintendent Baker wants his people to look at the possibility of getting such a sign at the Lily Lake parking area.
14. Superintendent Baker expressed his appreciation of the Allenspark group's willingness to work for themselves and include the park in their planning.
15. Ron mentioned the grant that FMI has applied for which would provide the technical help much needed at this time. Mike Lewelling is going to check into the status of that grant.
16. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

June 23, 2009 Meeker Park Lodge

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by Ron Gosnell. He welcomed all the agency people and landowners present, noting that there were at least two other area meetings being held at this time.
2. Ron introduced the authors of the sections of the final CWPP. Janet Robertson provided the history of fire in the Allenspark area. Ron did the section on fire basics and vegetation. John Chapman wrote the defensible space section, and his office provided the maps included. Gene Mackey was responsible for the roads and emergency routes section. Eric Phillips was the co-author of the emergency water sources, along with Howard Harms, who was not able to attend.
3. Also unable to attend the meeting were Chief Mike Osmun from the Allenspark Fire District, and Dr. William Rense who discussed weather and wildfire protection in his article.
4. Ron reviewed the process of forming the plan, which can be followed in detail by going to the allenspark.info web site, and reading the minutes for the Allenspark CWPP. He also talked about the goals we had set. The mitigation issue of THE WIND was completed and mailed out to all landowners. The other goal of working with the Area Club during the annual roll-off, was not accomplished and will be tried next year.
5. Ron introduced the agency people who were in attendance. Each told about their jobs and explained how they could help landowners with different aspects of working with fire mitigation.
6. Mark Martin, USFS from the Boulder District, had maps which showed the areas of completed, current and future fuel reduction projects. He answered some questions, especially relating to the project at Highways 7 and 72. They are hoping to get the slash piles chipped.
7. Richard Edwards, USFS from the Canyon Lakes District works out of Ft. Collins. They are doing mitigation work, but also working to reduce the impact of the ips and mountain pine beetle.
8. Mike Lewelling, the Fire Management Officer for Rocky Mountain National Park (and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument!), said that his office is trying to get the Environmental Plan finished by this fall. The park is encouraging participation with any landowners who adjoin park borders. If you have questions, contact Doug Watry.
9. Mike also said that the Wilderness Bill that was recently signed will have no effect on the way the park functions in regard to fire mitigation and insect control, since the park has been functioning as a wilderness area already. He also discussed the experimental technique of torching standing beetle hit trees. The results vary according to level of humidity in the air, the moisture content of the trees, the slope, species of tree, etc. The results are interesting and the experiments are continuing.
10. Boyd Lebeda, CSFS Ft. Collins District Forester, and Ben Pfohl, CSFS assistant Boulder District Forester, discussed the grants available to landowners. More information about this can be found on the Colorado State Forest Service web site, accessed from the Allenspark portal. Click on Funding Opportunities.
11. They also encouraged landowners with 40 acres or more to look into the Forest Agriculture management plan. This designation will lower property taxes to the same as those given traditional agricultural lands. This is a substantial reduction.
12. Eric Phillips, Boulder County Land Use Department Coordinator, in charge of Wildfire Mitigation, and Scott Golden , Boulder County Parks and Open Space Forestry and Biomass Specialist, said that the sort yard has been an unqualified success. It will be closed for the 4th of July, and will no longer accept hot MPB trees as of July 18th. It will continue to accept slash, mitigation cutting, and ips wood. They also discussed the ips monitoring stations around the perimeter of the sort yard. This is an ongoing study. Although Ryan Ludlow, Boulder County Land Use Forestry Education and Outreach Coordinator was unable to attend the meeting, he is available to help landowners with forest management questions.
13. After the comments by the agency people, Ron reminded the group that FMI was still in existence and has received a community assistance grant from RMNP that enabled the printing and mailing of the CWPP informational free edition of THE WIND, and the printing of the CWPP.
14. Stan Huntting talked about the allenspark.info site. Jeff Davis will be helping Stan to run the site and should be copied for any web site activity. (jeffpdavis1@gmail.com)
15. The web site is being expanded and will have many new links. The CWPP will be available in two different formats, one for those with dial up access.
16. Scott Golden suggested that the beetle coordinators could be used as resources for landowners needing information about fire mitigation questions. We need to think about how to get additional community members involved in the mitigation process.
17. Gene Mackey presented Ron Gosnell with a set of metal bookends with figures of a bear and a pine tree. Ron was given a round of applause for all the work he has done in getting the CWPP to this point.
18. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30. The agency people stayed for some time answering questions from landowners.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

February 18, 2009 Allenspark Fire Station

1. Ron Gosnell called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm
2. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss methods of getting the final version of The Plan into the hands of community members, and how to educate landowners about the value of the CWPP to them. One possibility mentioned was to have as many contacts with local groups such as the Area Club, Hilltop Guild, etc., as possible. This could involve scheduled talks and question and answer sessions.
3. Points made:
   • The plan is voluntary. The individual landowner will decide what he is willing or capable of doing.
   • Information is available to help landowners realize the need for mitigation.
   • There are specific projects or goals already set up.
   • Projects are geared toward individuals or larger areas.
   • This is an ongoing plan and will be added onto as people get involved.
   • Online access to The Plan gives the landowner access to many links about all aspects of fire mitigation.
4. Ron had a limited run of 15 copies of the final version of The Plan. These were passed out for discussion. This version has all the information found in the initial version plus fire, water, vegetation and area maps.
5. The projects section has all projects generated at the June 24, 2008 meeting. An attempt will be made to place specific projects and the person who made them into the proper category.
6. A goal will be to tie the clean up involved with the Area Club sponsored Roll Off Day, with taking stock of defensible space. This could involve having professional help available to check your area, for the two weeks prior to the Roll Off.
7. The forest service has a list of projects in our area that will be started as funds become available. It has also become easier to receive permission to remove beetle trees from adjacent forest service lands.
8. During the course of the meeting, Esther Walters, the President of the Fire Protection District, and Mike Osmun, the fire chief, signed off on the CWPP. All present signed their letters, and an attempt will be made to get signatures of all those who have contributed to the completion of the plan.
9. Email any errors found in the current version to Stan Huntting. Send any signature sheets to Carol Halsey.
10. The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

September 23, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. Ron called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm. Stan made a motion to approve the minutes as posted on the web site. Dave Osborne seconded and the motion passed.
2. The question was brought up about an appropriate person to ask to do the final edit for the priorities. Gene suggested Edie DeWeese as a person who is familiar with the topic, but not involved with the process. The suggestion was greeted with enthusiasm and Gene was delegated to approach Edie about the task.
3. The purpose of this meeting is to go through the projects as submitted. They will be edited, focussing on content and accuracy of information regarding forestry.
4. Each project was discussed. Some will stay as written. Others have had corrections, additions, and/or clarifications. Concerning the projects, Pete Morton suggested that signs be posted to explain, clarify and raise awareness of CWPP activities such as road widening, thinning, etc.
5. After considerable discussion, Ron moved that the committee approve the projects as amended. Will Rense seconded and the motion passed. These revised projects will be submitted to the editor, then given to Pete Staddler. The final version of the complete CWPP will then be published.
6. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

August 26, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. Ron Gosnell called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. He welcomed all and is glad to be back in action.
2. Matt Jedra from the Colorado State Forest Service, accepted a job in California and will need to be replaced. Kyla Sobo from the Boulder County Land Use Department, has also gone to California, so two departments are operating short handed at this time.
3. Ron gave a brief recap of the formation of the Allenspark CWPP, ending with the meeting in June where recommendations in five major areas were made by the committee heads and suggestions for priority projects were contributed by community landowners.
4. The Plan is complete except for finalizing the priorities and projects. Getting a CWPP set up for an area this size requires a somewhat different approach than plans for smaller units.
5. Ron handed out a couple of sample projects. Example - establish fuel breaks along Forest Service and National Park boundaries. These can take advantage of natural features (meadows, aspen stands, rock formations). A fuel break doesn’t have to look as if a DMZ has been established.
6. Another example - maintain the Allenspark Beetle Control organization and the community effort to reduce impacts from the beetle epidemic. The attempt is to mitigate wildfire hazard and avoid a build up of beetle-killed trees in the forest.
7. These projects are set up in the format of: Project, Purpose, Methodology, and Priority. Jerry Halsey made a motion to accept this format to set Priorities for the CWPP, Will Rense seconded and the motion passed.
8. John Chapman presented a proposal from Pete Morton of the Wilderness Society. The purpose of the project is to identify strategic locations for thinning forests and creating fuel breaks to protect neighborhoods located in the Allenspark Fire District. The location of the breaks would be based on evaluation of wildfire paths based on potential locations for wildfire ignitions. His proposal includes doing an inventory of possible ignition points (campfire rings, parking areas, etc.), past fuel breaks (Ouzel Fire, roads, logged sites, etc.) and passive breaks (aspen stands). This information would then be matched with location of structures and take into consideration weather patterns, vegetation type and burn patterns. Pete has a document created for another area that suggests methods that could be adapted for the Allenspark Area.
9. Glenn Patterson, a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Vrain-Left Hand Water Conservancy District, has volunteered to work with Eric Phillips. Howard Harms, who also worked on Water Sources, has had to curtail his activity for health reasons. Glenn stated that the general priority of this component of the CWPP was to develop water sources in the area. A specific project is to develop roads and dry hydrants, identify individuals with water sources and set up how to develop those resources. Barbara Hoover made arrangements with Glenn to inspect a pond on the H-Bar-H ranch and offer suggestions for utilizing it as a water source.
10. Ron, Margaret, Jerry and Carol will meet to consolidate suggestions from the June 24th meeting to form priorities and projects. These will be put into the agreed upon format and submitted for approval.
11. Joe Turner reported on Peak to Peak Wood. This is a five-county effort in the northern Front Range to create markets for wood products coming from our forests. There is information about this project on the allenspark.info web site.
12. A suggestion was made to have available a list of the components of the CWPP and the names of the members who are working on each. This would help landowners locate the people who would be able to give advice on procedures and projects. If you have a question about an aspect of the CWPP that is not listed, contact one of the committee members and we'll try to get the information you need.
13. Roads and Access - Gene Mackey Defensible Space - John Chapman and Pete Morton Weather - Will Rense Water Sources - Glenn Patterson and Eric Phillips Vegetation - Ron Gosnell
14. The next meeting will be in the Community Room on September 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

June 24, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. The purpose of this Community Meeting was to present to area landowners the work that has been done by the committee setting up the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The work that has been done to this point is accessible on the Allenspark Portal web page. The Plan is complete except for setting priorities.
2. At 7:00, Ron Gosnell opened the meeting, welcomed all in attendance, and briefly explained that the Plan is intended to help landowners be aware of their fire risk, find something manageable to get started on, and work from there. It is hoped that area residents will generate priorities that will complete The Plan.
3. Rick Frost, Deputy Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, presented a check for $10,000 to Jerry and Carol Halsey, representatives of Forestry Management, Inc. The funds will become available after a Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been completed, and after FIREWISE education for property owners within the Allenspark Fire Protection District has been provided. Forestry Management also agrees to meet a cost share at a minimum of 10%, which may include in-kind services or supplies.
4. Ron briefly explained the format of the meeting - landowners will be able to meet with representatives of all branches of government, as well as resident specialists. Each representative will cover a specific area of fire mitigation.
5. Topic areas were:
   • Sustainable Forestry - Colorado State Forest Service
   • Wood Disposal - Boulder County Land Use Department
   • Home and Family Safety - Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance
   • RMNP & Neighbors - Rocky Mountain National Park
   • USFS Plans - United States Forest Service
   • Water Supplies - Boulder County
   • Fire Weather - Dr. William Rense
   • Roads and Access - Allenspark Fire Protection District
   • Other - Anything else the community wishes to prioritize
6. As community members interacted with the representatives and each other, suggestions for priorities were generated. Most of these were written down on large sticky notes and posted either at the topic area or in a separate designated area. As people read the suggested ideas, they were encouraged to put a circle sticker on the ideas they thought could be most useful.
7. A valuable aspect of this part of the meeting was the ability of many landowners to share with others the steps they have taken to start mitigation around their homes and on their land.
8. Given the size of our CWPP, the thought of doing mitigation for the area can be rather overwhelming. People were encouraged to start with what they can handle easily, and expand to neighborhood projects.
9. The meeting officially ended around 9:00, but discussions continued around the room and out into the parking area.
10. The priority suggestions were gathered and put into general topic areas (roads and access, defensible space, etc.). The suggestions will be discussed when the group next convenes.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

May 27, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by Ron Gosnell. Introductions were made around the table. Seventeen people were present. The minutes were approved as read on the web page.
2. The purpose of this meeting was to get everyone set for the June 24 meeting when the plan will be presented to the public. After this meeting, Ron and Matt will meet to set and organize the priorities generated from the landowners. The priorities section needs to be in place for the plan to be reviewed and approved by Boulder and Larimer Counties, the Fire Protection District, the State Forest Service, and the US Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Park also has an interest in the plan.
3. Publicity - Peter Staddler will work with us on the CWPP. Stan and Ron will draft information for him. Peter will get posters and flyers out to let people know about the plan and the June meeting.
4. At the June meeting, there should be some hard copies of the main points of the plan available for those who have no computer access. The landowners will be the deciding authority for their specific area.
5. After some discussion of logistics, Howard Harms moved we develop and approve the priority section of the plan and submit it for final approval to the appropriate agencies at the regularly scheduled July 22 meeting, with the intent to receive final approval by the August 26 meeting. Jerry Halsey seconded. More discussion followed. The motion passed.
6. Ron will send a news release to local newspapers about the June meeting. An article will be in the Wind. He will also notify the Estes Park Trail Gazette, the Estes Park News, the Longmont Times-Call, the MountainEar, the Lyons Recorder, the Lyons Redstone Review, and the Boulder Camera.
7. Ron will also contact radio stations KUNC, KGNU, NPR and CPR.
8. Informational posters about the meeting will be placed at Kelley House, Meeker Park Lodge, Covenant Heights, Meadow Mountain Cafe, the Post Office, Peaceful Valley, and the Allenspark Fire Station.
9. Colette asked about possibly putting out warnings concerning fire danger during the Democratic National Convention, since there may be an influx of visitors then. Mark Martin responded that the Forest Service is planning to step up their presence during that time.
10. Discussion followed about the best way to present the plan at the June meeting. Since the amount of information in the plan, as shown on the web site, is overwhelming, it was decided to cut it down to a condensed power point presentation. This presentation will include the following, attempting to keep each section about two minutes in length.
    1. Introduction - Ron Gosnell A reassuring statement of what a CWPP is.
    2. Ouzel Fire History - ? slides from the McDonalds
    3. Wildfire Basics - Nathan Williamson? triangle graphics slide
    4. Vegetation is Fuel - Ron Gosnell 2 slides - ground vs. crown & comparison
    5. Fire Weather - Will Rense possible Ouzel slide
    6. Water Sources - Eric Phillips or Howard Harms map
    7. Roads - Gene Mackey slide of fire truck on narrow road
    8. Defensible Space & What Can You Do and How? - John Chapman graphs
11. Following the presentations, there will be a caucus period of about fifteen minutes. Sticky notes will be provided so that those in attendance can discuss and write down individual ideas for what activities should be included in the priorities section of the final version of the plan.
12. After the caucus, Matt Jedra and Mark Martin will utilize flip charts and the sticky note suggestions to facilitate the drawing up of a list of priorities. Ron and Matt will then take this list and work to generate the priorities section of the plan which will be presented at the July meeting.
13. The presenters will meet at 7:00 on June 17 at Stan Huntting’s to go over the presentations.
14. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

April 22, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:10 by Ron Gosnell.
2. Introductions were made around the table. Fourteen people were present, including Boyd Lebeda from the Ft. Collins office of the State Forest Service.
3. Ron made a correction to the March minutes that appear on the web site. The large general meeting that was to be held on June 14th, will be changed because of a couple of conflicts. The date of June 21st was announced in the special edition of The Wind. However, this conflicts with the pancake breakfast. The actual date of the general CWPP meeting will be announced on the web site.
4. The minutes were then approved as corrected. Ron also asked for approval of all past minutes, as they are all published on the web site. All minutes were approved.
5. Ron opened discussion, planning for the June 21st meeting. The Plan calls for priorities to come from the landowners, doing what they feel is important and what they are comfortable doing. At the May meeting, we need to try to find volunteers who will be willing to come forward and tell what they have already done, or plan to do on their property and in their area. People need to know that this is a neighbor driven program, that small groups of neighbors can decide to work on a particular project for their area.
6. At the June meeting, each section leader will do a short presentation of their topic. Stan will be able to use the web site and project it directly onto the screen during the presentations. We will also have some form of hand outs that people will be able to take with them. These are still to be decided on, but could include a CD version of the Plan, an executive summary of the Plan, or even a full color, full Plan handout, including maps. We will be investigating the costs of such hand outs.
7. Ron spoke with Chuck Dennis who is working on the Water Shed Protection Plan. They are attempting to gather criteria to assess the water sheds for each area to find the most efficient ways to protect them. The water people should be involved in the mitigation plan.
8. The Front Range Fuels Treatment Plan (FRFTP) are currently looking for communities that have an appropriate CWPP in place, or who have such a plan in progress. These communities would serve as models for other communities. Would it be appropriate for the Allenspark community to be represented in the FRFTP?
9. Contractors and consulting foresters will be included in the resources section of the Plan.
10. Boyd Lebeda asked for clarification of how his office can help with the Larimer County portion of our CWPP, particularly concerning roads, water, and parcel data.
11. He also informed the group about the MPB Symposium, sponsored by the Estes Tree Board. It will be held in the Estes Park Town Hall on May 7, starting at 8:30 am.
12. Ron asked the group to think about planning a group tour to some nearby mitigated areas, and possibly to consider a trip to the Hayman Fire area.
13. Matt Jedra said that the Boulder office is in the process of working out plans for tours of treatment areas, fire areas, etc. Stay tuned for more information.
14. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25, and multiple discussions ensued.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

March 25, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm. A sign up sheet was passed around. Twelve people were present. Carol Halsey, secretary, was unable to attend the meeting.
2. Ron announced that Nathan Williamson sent an email noting that FMI has a good chance to receive the leftover RMNP $5000 grant. Nathan is also applying, on behalf of FMI, for 2009 grant money to be used for CWPP planning projects. Carol applied for and received all the necessary federal registration and permits for FMI to receive this grant.
3. Gene was complemented on the Roads and Access write up he did for the plan.
4. Eric was complemented on the mapping of water sources, and thanks to Gene’s communication with the fire chief, Mike Osmun, Mike will contribute some additional locations. Stan will incorporate them on the map, when received.
5. Ron has not received vegetation review or plant ID appendix information from CSFS forester Matt Jedra. Matt did e-mail Ron that his plan is still to do this.
6. Gene reported Mike Osmun’s interest in contributing text for the suppression section of the plan based upon the fire department and fire district’s perspective.
7. John Chapman, Alison Gallensky and Stan Huntting are coordinating to have all CWPP vegetative maps correspond to the identification titles in the vegetation descriptions. John said workloads may permit Alison to do this in a week or so. John intends to do an overall edit of the plan, for continuity and format, once all sections are drafted and posted.
8. Will Rense’s father has been very Ill and Will has been unable to complete the plan’s weather section. He has given Ron his ideas, and Ron will write a draft for Will’s review, before it is submitted for posting.
9. It was moved, seconded, and passed that Stan will post all of what we have written for the plan on the CWPP web page, with the understanding that it is a work in progress. Community members need to see what we have been doing and be able to give the CWPP committee feedback. Stan said he can get that accomplished within a week. Stan reminded the group about the easy capability for community members to submit comments electronically about the plan.
10. Jerry suggested that, in addition to all the beetle control information, some CWPP information, such as goals, principles, and purpose be included in the special edition of the Wind. It was moved, seconded, and passed. Gene said he had the capability to do this.
11. Stan brought up the topic of insurance companies. After much discussion it was decided that since our purpose is totally educational in nature this decision should be left to the individual landowner. John mentioned that there is a generic publication about insurance industry perspectives if the committee would like to include it for information sharing.
12. Dates were set for completing the plan:
    • March 28 Stan will have all available text posted on the CWPP web page and maps will be posted when workloads permit.
    • April 1 Gene needs to have, electronically, any additional text about CWPP to be included in the special WIND edition.
    • April 19 Public ABC beetle control training scheduled. Try to have Special WIND edition published and distributed at this meeting. WIND edition will included CWPP information, web page, and a call for community review of the plan and comment.
    • May 1 Final CWPP plan text and appendices posted. John Chapman will begin final edit and prepare at least several hard copy drafts for availability in the community at selected locations so that anyone without computer access can see the draft plan.
    • May 27 CWPP regular scheduled meeting agenda to be a dry-run of the June 14 meeting.
    • June 14 Public meeting to finalize the plan with community comments and community determined priorities to be included in the plan for approval. Each author will give a short presentation about their recommendations and community members will be encouraged to endorse and prioritize specific plan recommendations. Gene will check for any community conflicts for the date of June 14.
    • Post-June 14 After the public meeting, community input and priorities will be incorporated into the plan. If we get the RMNP grant, hard copies of the plan can be printed for distribution to community members.
13. Ron reviewed all plan sections to make sure we were covered. Pete Morton accepted responsibility to complete the Resources Section of the plan, and John said he would help Pete do this from John’s information bank about help available.
14. Eric and Stan will coordinate on having the County’s glossary of forestry terms available in the plan.
15. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey & Ron Gosnell
Secretary

February 26, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. Ron Gosnell called the meeting to order at 7:00. There were 14 people present - 4 agency representatives, 9 landowners, and one guest. Introductions were made around the table.
2. Ron summarized where we are at this point with CWPP, as reported at the last meeting. The grant that we applied for was awarded to Sugar Loaf.
3. Mike Lewelling reported on the availability of some grant funds for CWPP that could be used for community risk assessments, CWPP development, mitigation plans, educational programs, etc. These funds are from a grant that Great Sand Dunes was not able to use. Allenspark might be able to be considered for these funds. These are 2008 funds. March 15th is the deadline for applications for 2009 funds.
4. Nate Williamson, fire ecologist for RMNP, will work with Ron and apply for CWPP grants, both the unused 2008 grant and the ones available for 2009.
5. Mike Lewelling also spoke briefly about the RMNP new fire management plan. There is less resistance now to park personnel getting actively involved in managing the forest. Their group has also been given added beetle responsibility. Right now, the western slope is taking most of the resources. However, the Allenspark Area is listed as a high priority area. The park is interested in getting more involved with the border communities. The two park representatives were pleased with being able to get acquainted with the groups and individuals they will be working with.
6. Stan Huntting explained the web site for putting together all the pieces of plans into a finalized Plan. There is currently a development web site with about 25 pages of "stuff". This "shadow site" will hold all this information which is available for editing and input. John Chapman will work with Stan and Ron to do an edit on The Plan. Matt Jedra will arrange a peer review on what Ron has written on vegetation. When The Plan is edited and poked and prodded into its final form, it will be available on the open web site.
7. The next stage of planning will be to start involving neighborhoods around the area. After the draft has been completed, commented on, and edited, we will ask the community members for their priorities. The community’s priorities will then be placed in the plan’s priority section. This summer, it is hoped to have the Allenspark Community Wildfire Protection Plan printed for distribution.
8. After the ABC meeting on February 18, Edie DeWeese, Gene Mackey, and Jerry Halsey chatted about the possibility of having a special edition of The Wind. Edie and Gene discussed it further, and the topic was introduced this evening. FMI would sponsor the project, and the issue would contain a variety of articles dealing with the beetle and fire management in the Allenspark Area. The intention is to send a copy of the paper to all landowners in the area.
9. There was a discussion of beetles and beetle behavior. Possibly Doug Watry, a fuel management specialist, would be able to do a presentation about beetles during the summer. Matt will bring maps showing the increase in beetle hit acreage for this year.
10. The next meeting will be March 25, 2008, 7:00 at the Community Room.
11. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

January 22, 2008 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. Ron Gosnell called the meeting to order at 7:00. There were 15 people present.
2. Ron informed the group that he had submitted an application for a CWPP grant, and encouraged everyone to keep track of time spent working on CWPP projects. This would include these meetings, research, time in the field, etc. This time is counted as ìIn Kind Donationî or ìsweat equityî.
3. Ron welcomed Charles Rense, visiting from New Mexico, and Bob Alm, a wood cutter who was also active during the 70s beetle fight. REVIEW OF EXPECTATIONS/2008 PLAN
4. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan includes many components. Designated committee members will complete the plan write-ups for their area of expertise, and offer specific actions that the community and landowners can take to improve wildfire protection. For example, Vegetation - Ron, Access/Roads - Gene, Weather - William, Water Sources- Howard, Mapping and Defensible Space- John.
5. A completed draft of the plan will be available to everyone for review and comment back to the committee by May or June on the CWPP web page. Completed parts of the plan are already being posted by Stan.
6. At a July or August 2008 public meeting, the recommended actions of the plan will be presented. Those actions which people want to pursue/complete will become priorities.
7. Howard Harms moved we adopt the procedure for setting up the plan. Jerry Halsey seconded. The motion was approved.
8. Janet Robertson may be available to do the History section, as Jack Zumwinkle has indicated to Ron a difficulty to participate actively. Stan will help Ron meet with Janet.
9. Also, individuals of groups choosing to pursue projects recommended in the approved plan may qualify for grant money to do so.
10. A question was asked about private property adjoining forest service land. For communities with an approved CWPP, the act calls for 50% of the USDA Forest Service fuels budget to be used so as to complement and tie in with community fuels project priorities. The act also encourages all other federal land agencies (NPS for example) to consider the communities' priorities. REPORTS
11. Gene Mackey continues his assessment of the roads in the area. He has almost finished the county roads, looking at width, turn outs, overhangs, etc. The private landowner is responsible for providing access to fire department trucks and emergency vehicles. Landowners will be encouraged to cooperate and take into account what will be needed. (Reminder: there is a slide show available from Mike Osmun that details the difficulties that emergency vehicles have gaining access to structures in the area.)
12. Howard Harms and Eric Phillips have mapped out the water sources in the area. This does include dry (or draft) hydrants, those hydrants where the water does not flow when a valve is turned, but where the water must be pumped out. It does not include any of the cisterns in the area. Landowners who have a cistern are encouraged to let the CWPP committee know of its location and volume.
13. Ron Gosnell is mapping the areas of vegetation. This will include location and acreage of lodgepole, ponderosa, aspen, etc. He will also provide information about how each type of vegetation burns - what to expect in case of a fire. Check with a forester to learn how to reduce fire danger in each type of stand.
14. John Chapman has CDs of vegetation maps. He will send these to the fire department.
15. Will Rense has looked into weather stations for the area. These are ìreal timeî stations, and could be used to alert travelers to the current fire danger. There was discussion as to how these stations could be used to best advantage. He will continue to investigate options for reporting weather conditions. For local use, fire danger information could be an aspect of the allenspark.info web site.
16. Structures and defensible space was discussed. Eric said that people need more information about defensible space. It isnít just clearing around a structure, but includes the whole landscape. The landscape should be broken up into mosaic patterns - break up the continuity of trees.
17. Bill Browning reported that some insurance companies are already taking notice of the possible fire danger in the area and are notifying some policy holders of the necessity of defensible space.
18. Matt Jedra reported that there has been a considerable increase in the beetle infestation. In Boulder County, infested MPB trees increased from 1,798 acres to 26,603 acres. In Larimer County, the increase is from 4,381 acres to 121,989 acres. He will have maps of the area showing the spread.
19. There were twelve members and three agency representatives present.
20. The next meeting will be February 26, 2008.
21. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

November 27, 2007 7:00PM Allenspark Fire Station

1. Allenspark CWPP Coordinator, Ron Gosnell, opened the meeting by pointing out the large area that the Allenspark Fire Protection District covers, and the fact that the volunteer department is spread very thin. He recognized Gene Mackey as an effective liaison with the fire department.
2. Ron presented a plaque to Jerry and Carol Halsey as a ‘Dynamic Duo” involved in keeping the FMI organization in existence for almost 30 years. He presented Bill Browning a “Wald Meister” plaque for his value to the community as a forester extraordinaire. He also presented a plaque to Stan Hunting as an “e-Master” for all the work he has done on the Allenspark web sites.
3. Stan passed out copies of the "Cyber-Forester’s Crib-Sheet", which explained the three parts of the web site - Web Resources, Forums, and Email Mailing Lists.
4. Secretary, Carol Halsey, read a letter from Ron Gosnell to Mr. Tom Fry, Team Leader of the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance and the Wilderness Society, commending the work of John Chapman and Alison Gallensky.
5. She also read a letter from Ron to Mr. Vaughn Baker, Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, commending the help and cooperation given by Mike Lewelling, Nathan Williamson, and Matt Dutton.

   REPORTS

6. Gene Mackey reported that there was a more positive response from the Fire Department at this time, possibly due to the fact that CWPP seems to be more organized and is following through on things. Gene is still assessing the county roads, taking into consideration length, width, fuel load lining, overhangs, etc. Howard Harms asked about the situation on private property. Providing access to fire department trucks is the responsibility of the private landowner. New structures have to conform to county standards for width, turnarounds, bridges, etc., but the majority of structures in this area are older than the standards. Mike Osmun has a slide show detailing the difficulties the trucks have gaining access to structures in the area. Education of landowners needs to be considered.
7. Matt Jedra announced that Boulder County is purchasing an “air curtain burner” and will transport it to three locations around the county, including Allenspark. Although the burner will take very large items, the main purpose of the burner is to eliminate the slash and large unusable products of thinning. It is hoped that uses will be found for much of the wood product.
8. John Chapman brought some large maps showing the correct boundaries for the Allenspark Fire Protection District which is also the CWPP area. There are also many smaller maps showing the location of structures, private land, historic sites, vegetation, etc.
9. Keith Hewitt said that the Boulder County Sheriff and Firefighters have several educational videos available to show landowners the county plan in case of wildfire. Possibly these would be good to show when the summer people are here.
10. Ron said that meetings will be set for the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be January 22, 2008, when the next set of goals will be set.
11. Tony Mahon from Fire Ready - Wildfire Protection and Forestry Professionals, of Fort Collins told about his company and their willingness to be involved in helping to achieve the CWPP.
12. Matt will check on the technicalities of foam expiration. There is also the possibility of buying it in bulk through the forest service. He will also check on the question of landowner prescribed burns.
13. The meeting ended at 8:30.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Halsey
Secretary

Accomplishments and Work In Progress, July-November, 2007:

1. The fire district (also the CWPP boundary) has been accurately and electronically mapped except for some additions to the district in Larimer County. All mapping is courtesy of the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance and Wilderness Society.
2. Mapping includes residence/structure locations, vegetation types, topography, roads, and planning unit boundaries. Mark Martin with USFS and John Chapman are working on additional information which based upon fuel and topography and winds, may show potential fire paths.
3. Eric Philips, Boulder County Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator, and Howard Harms have agreed to map out emergency water source locations, to include that information in the electronic map system. Source categories are hydrants, dry hydrants, neighborhood cisterns, engine draft, portable pump to fill engines, and private cistern locations. After an initial location ID map for review, people will be invited to identify other sites not yet mapped, given a set of criteria for each category.
4. Gene Mackey has begun a process of looking at area roads and rights of way for emergency vehicle clearances, turn outs, emergency evacuation routes and staging areas, and improvement projects for emergency possibilities, and we can share these with neighborhoods and the Counties. The fire department has guidelines to share for their vehicle access to private land/structures.
5. Stan Huntting has created the allenspark.info web site link and is working on both the Allenspark Beetle Control and CWPP sites (this website). Direct expenses are being reimbursed by Forest Management Inc. (FMI), for information work for both ABC and CWPP. Tax deductible donations to the cause are invited. Stan has created the capability for anyone with web access to provide CWPP input and learn our progress through the Forestry Forum.
6. Carol Halsey has agreed to be our Secretary, Ron Gosnell our Coordinator and Gene Mackey will serve as CWPP Fire District Liaison to keep the fire board and fire department informed. These ad hoc positions will help formalize and organize the CWPP effort. Ron has also agreed to compose fire behavior descriptions for each vegetative type-mapped, and some general guidelines to consider when developing site specific prescriptions for vegetation to reduce fire danger.
7. A "steering group" of CWPP advocates has met informally and decided to build upon information and information sharing activities so that by next year with the return of summer residents, public meetings can be held to share what has been learned and help set community priorities for wildfire protection actions. This effort may include additional information presentations such as the fire-history power point by Nathan Williamson of RMNP. The articles and information links will become available in both the WIND and this web site.
8. Dr. Will Rense has agreed to investigate possibilities to develop and distribute local fire danger info from area weather stations including fuel-stick moisture measurements which can help determine long term draught effects on fire danger. Also, he may suggest ways to get this accurate real time information to residents and tourists so it has a positive effect on human behavior and wildfire prevention.
9. CWPP is receiving more interest and awareness within the community, a positive first step to effective fire preparedness action for Allenspark.
10. Other areas of interest include Allenspark and area fire history, wildlife corridors and habitat considerations, marketing and disposal of excess tree raw materials, wood energy considerations, self-help checklists for homeowners to do their own residence-evaluation for fire risk. One excellent chain saw safety seminar was held at the fire station and more will be scheduled including hands-on operation at the Park, thanks to Mike Lewelling and Matt Dutton of Rocky Mountain National Park.