By Ryan Cox
The Durango Office of the Colorado State Forest Service leads a project to reduce fuels and improve forest health in a 41-acre unit near Rockwood. This important project has been contracted to Miller Timber Services, with the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad providing assistance in removing the downed timber in the area, in which all railroad services will be donated.
The project area is private property 19 miles north of Durango between CR 250 and Highway 550 just south of Shalona Lake.
Crews will load trees onto railroad flatbed cars, which will travel about 2 miles to the Rockwood Railroad Station to be transferred to trucks and hauled away to area mills. Using the railroad to haul timber is unique in Colorado, and this event provides an opportunity to take photos and learn more about forest management in this area.
Thinning and rail hauling work on this project will be complete in early 2024.
Representatives from CSFS, D&SNGR and Miller Timber Services will be available to answer questions.
Thinning is on-going. Hauling to begin January 9, 2024.
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) provides professional forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise, and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
For more information, visit csfs.colostate.edu.
Ryan Cox is Lead Forester with the Colorado State Forest Service.