Forests Program

In Colorado, 80% of our water supply originates in forested watersheds, such as the Upper Cache la Poudre. Healthy, resilient forests provide many benefits including wildlife habitat, improved water quality, recreational opportunities, wood products and local jobs.

Using the Upper Poudre Watershed Resilience Plan as a guide, as well as landscape-scale planning efforts through the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, we focus our forestry projects in high priority sub-drainages that are in most need of forest restoration work to prevent the negative impacts to our communities, water supplies, and ecosystems from catastrophic wildfire, such as the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire.

This important work could not be accomplished without collaboration and partnerships, which is why we work closely with government agencies, non-profits, local landowners and community groups to increase resilience and reduce wildfire risk across the Upper Poudre Watershed.

For questions about our Forests Program please email Daniel Bowker, Forests Program Manager, at daniel@poudrewatershed.org.

Featured Projects 

Lazy D Ranch Forest Restoration

The Larimer Conservation District and the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed are partnering on this 50 acre forest restoration project at Lazy D Ranch, a 388 acre private property along Fish Creek and the S. Fork of the Cache la Poudre River near Pingree Park, CO. The forest type in the project area is ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer.

Swanson Ranch Forest Restoration

The 200 acre treatment unit is near South Lone Pine Creek, an important water supply for the City of Greeley, which serves approx. 140,000 people. Mitigating wildfire risk on these properties will directly protect this vital water supply.

W.O.L.F. Sanctuary Wildfire Mitigation Project

The WOLF Sanctuary Wildfire Mitigation Project will use hand thinning, slash piling, pile burning, and chipping to reduce forest density and mitigate wildfire risk on 38 acres of private land located between the communities of Red Feather Lakes and Glacier View Meadows, in Larimer County, Colorado.

Elkhorn Creek Forest Health Initiative (ECFHI)

In 2015, CPRW partnered with Larimer County Conservation Corps, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch and The Nature Conservancy, collectively forming the Elkhorn Creek Forest Health Initiative (ECFHI) to design and implement a forest health project that met multiple objectives.

Horsetooth Mountain Park

CPRW worked with partners at Larimer County Natural Areas and the Colorado State Forest Service to reduce high severity wildfire risk around Horsetooth Reservoir. 

Lory State Park Forest Management

A forest health and fuels reduction project to reduce wildfire risk within portions of Lory State Park, located to the west of Fort Collins.