The Genesee community has actively managed its open space since 1984, during
this time, approximately 215 acres have been selectively thinned, removing
suppressed and overcrowded trees to reduce the risk of stand replacing crown
fires and improve overall forest health.Genesee is one of many
communities located in an area designated as the “red zone”. The Jefferson
County “red zone” is where undeveloped “wild” land abuts developed areas or
communities; this is termed the wildland urban interface or WUI. Genesee
has a high wildland fire hazard rating because areas within and adjacent to
its property are overstocked with coniferous ponderosa pine and Douglas fir
trees combined with steep topography. To decrease the wildfire hazard
rating, increase biodiversity and restore a natural sustainable ecosystem,
selective tree thinning should occur in areas with dense stands of trees
designated with an extreme fire behavior index.
Forest management that focuses on selective tree removal or thinning is
done in areas where natural disturbance cycles (fire) are supressed. For
the foothills ecosystem, without human intervention, a low intensity / high frequency fire every 2 – 20 years would naturally occur.
Old growth ponderosa pines have a thick layer of bark which is a unique
adaptation to these fires, many would survive while trees with a thinner
bark layer would perish resulting in an open savannah like forest.
Tree removal in dense stands with second and third tree generations is a
management activity that mimics this
disturbance without the use of fire. Old growth ponderosa pine trees
are released from second and third generation tree competition as well as
from shade tolerant Douglas-fir trees.
2007 project areas are outlined in the Shaded Fuel Break Project Map link
below. Please watch for the marking plan and resident walkthroughs of
the areas in the updates and timeline as well as in Genescene articles and
on Cable channel 8.
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