HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence Regarding Fire HazzardAUû r 0 20ti6
Grand Junction Dlstrict
222s..6h. st., Rm.#416
Grand Junclion, Co 81501
(s701248-7925
August 28,?.006
Fred Jarman
Carfi"ld County Building and Planning Departnent
108 8d' Street, Suite 4ol
Glenwood SPrings, Colorado 81601
RE: Pinyon Mesa Subdivision
Mr. Jarman
I have reviewed the preliminary plan application for the Pinyon Mesa Subdivision' There wBs no
wildfire haza¡d *up o,. *oi"*Lrroaoi i" ttre applicatiou {rerefore I met wíth ldr. (iell vanghagen at
rhe property on euglrrt 2tJ"2OOO. I also Çokå'y* Itll-Oavette' Deputy Chief for Carbondsle asd
Rurar Fire protection ıtrùo about his .o*å"*r for wíldfire hazard foi t¡e prop€rry. I have the
following comments t"g*¿i"g wildfi¡e haz'ad on this proposal'
The primary vegelalion is juniperand pinyon treeso and sagebnrsh' The combination of vegetative
species pûsss a "igrid"u-iiån
,*,¡t¿nr" n*ndto parts of the proposed subdivision' The lots at the
highest fire risk *", nì*'ìî-ro un¿ tots :6-¿t. 'Th"r. are rocated in lhe no¡theasr ssction of the
proposed subdivision anJ inctu¿e pinyon and juniper tees on 1¡lore that is greater than 10 percent'
Any homes built on these lots noå to h",r* a*i"oriurr space whicriis an area a¡ound a struch¡re where
fuers and vegetation *ru t ãt*a, creared or reduced ß sfow the spread of wildfirc towards thc stn¡cture'
Also, homes should b*-b.ilt ;i"g frewisc materials that are fire-resistive (class c or better rating)'
The next a¡ea of increased wildfire risk is located on either side ofthe mvine, the lots s'rrounding this
areå are lots 66-72*J tot, 59-65. rne .,r"jeøtign I g" ravine is comprised of dense, mature pinyon
and juniper ,r**r. rrä, ¿n¿ un¿erstory urtät.* *t ould be trrinned and the removal of ladder fuels and
dead marerial should be completed before *irto*"*it"s are built on:-ryji1"î:: of higher wildfire
risk is the lots s'rro'nding a small rrrro'"rrt"í= pintfn alrd jruriper trees are growing' The lots are 49-
54 and 1-5. The ,ir.'ortä" nÃ. *r¿ tttr increa^sed-slope make this portion of the property prone to
higherwildfirehazardsandshouldbeteatedaslotslT-20and3648.
I belicve the best methods to rcdueo wildfïre hazard on this propery would be to thin the pinyon and
junþrtrees to Cotoäão Sáùfor*rt Seruice ståndards along tit*
"dget
of the properfy and in the
ravine. Arso enforcing defensibrc space standards around ail permancnt sbuctures, and encourâge or
require the usc ornr*ii*" ùuitaing *urr¡J. tr¡r* ise csnsrruction, Design and Mqterials, 2004)
*ãîã A.ottase the rlotËntial for a severe wildfire event'
ï/rirtenstandal.dsfordefensiblespficemanagim:ltzonespublishedbytheColoradoSt¿teForest
service can be f"*d i;lh; i*""oï."uirionoipublicarion 6.302, creating vi@ìre Defensìble zones'
obviously, removing any type of vtgetation consider€d as ladder fuels, ürdcrgrowththat oould bring a
fi¡s irlto t¡cc crowns, *í a!åO or dylng üËçs or shnrbs should be rpmoved'
I found îo olrffant signs of rlre ips bark beetle (þ cory'u.nn) colonizìng pinyon pin0 kçes on the
propsrty. But they ur* eðii"* otiths hillside, eädent asrosscR ll4. L is rocommeüd€d to plan any
coniferlevergecn frce cuüing or pruring u"ti"itiut in tatc September or October which is when tbe ips
bark beettes over winters and would not rtuoi any tæ* rær ôny construction or thinning work done
in the summer that creates sap flow on pioy* æåcwiü attact the ips to the a¡es yl îdd re$lt in
the death of a large numbor of the pinyon rot ot the propcrty. Pbåse refer to publication 5'558' Ips
Beetles for fi¡rther information.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this proposal. Please call with any questions ú970-248'7325'
Singcrcly,
M^e
Itamie Long
Forester
Co: Pinyon MesaDeveloPment, LLC
o