Eagles Nest - Environment

Tax Deduction for Fire Mitigation
Save your receipts. The State of Colorado (HB08-1110) allows landowners to deduct the costs of fire mitigation measures on private land. "Wildlife mitigation measures" are defined in the act as follows: "The creation of a defensible space around structures; the establishment of fuel breaks; the thinning of woody vegetation for the primary purpose of reducing risk to structures from wildland fire; or the secondary treatment of woody fuels by lopping and scattering, piling, chipping, removing from the site, or prescribed burning; so long as such activities meet or exceed any Colorado State Forest Service standards or any other applicable state rules." Some restrictions and limitations apply. Consult with your tax preparer to determine if you qualify.

Silverthorne Slash Site (old info for early 2009)
Again this summer, after much urging from Association, the Town of Silverthorne will make available a slash site for property owner use. Last fall the Association sent letters to Town and County officials urging the return of a slash site, stating that there must be a combined local government effort to ease the burden to property owners who are required to clear their property of dead and infected lodgepole pine trees. Without the site, property owners would have no option but to pay much higher prices for the removal of slash and/or take the slash to the landfill. Initially, the Association was turned down, but renewed effort, and the help of Council members, resolved the issue.
The fee-based drop off site will be located across from the north entrance of Golden Eagle (near the waste treatment plant). The site will stay open until July 17. Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 am til noon and Saturdays 10:00 am til noon. Property owners must first purchase coupons from the Town (at Town Hall or the Rec Center) in order to use the site. Slash is limited to 4 inches and smaller. Property owners should check the Town website (www.silverthorne.org) or visit the Town Hall for updates. You can also contact Jim Ernst, who has taken the lead on this issue for the Association, at 468-0626 or by e-mail at jimcindyernst@hotmail.com.

Noxious Weeds
A number of years ago, the Homeowners Assocation identified 8 species of noxious weeds in our community. Of these 8, we found 5 weeds that we classified as "serious infestations": False Chamomile (crazy daisy), Oxeye Daisy, Canada Thistle, Musk Thistle and Yellow Toadflax (butter and eggs). To deal with this problem, the Association began a program to educate property owners of the need to eradicate these noxious weeds. Each year we identify specific noxious weed infestations and require that property owners remove these infestations. Today, through the work of Jim Beltzer and his crew of volunteers, we are gaining the upper hand on noxious weed infestations. Compared to other communities in the area, Eagles Nest is in far better shape. Still, these weeds are "obnoxious" and we must continue to work at control. The Association provides chemicals and backpack sprayers to all property owners to tackle this problem. We also make available instruction on the use of equipment and chemicals. Given the availability of equipment, free herbicides and instruction, there should be no excuses. Call Stuart Richardson, 262-2165, for details. For information on weed identification, contact Lisa Taylor, Summit County Weed Coordinator, 970-668-4218, or LisaT@co.summit.co.us.

Also, link to great info at:

Summit County Weed Info

Colorado Dept. of Agriculture - Noxious Weeds

Healthy Forest Volunteer Opportunity
Thank you to our volunteer homeowners!
Board member Jim Ernst is compiling a master list of volunteers. If you are interested in helping us on a Healthy Forest workday, please contact Jim at www.jimcindyernst@hotmail.com

Our Forests and the Pine Beetle
The Eagles Nest, Summit County and the entire Rocky Mountain West have some serious challenges ahead of us. We are nestled within a 120 year old predominantly Lodgepole pine forest. Over the years, fire has been suppressed in this forest and there has been little thinning that would propagate a more healthy forest, diversified both in size and species. Weakened by periodic draught and human interference in the natural process of destruction and renewal, the region-wide infestation of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) has taken a toll on this forest. The Association has been and continues to be proactive in dealing with the threat posed by the MPB.

Mountain Pine Beetle Spray Policy
It is safe to say that all of us take a special pride in the natural beauty of Eagles Nest. The forest surrounding our homes is a treasure, a source of aesthetic enjoyment, recreation, and indeed a source of real value. That forest, as we all know, has been under attack by the pernicious mountain pine beetle. A number of years ago the Board of Directors of the Eagles Nest Property Homeowners Association, out of a strong sense of stewardship for the forest, mounted a campaign to battle the beetle. This involved a mandatory tree spraying program for both private properties in Eagles Nest and for properties owned by the Association. The spraying program was endorsed by forest officials at both the state and federal level. Even so, we were told that there was no program that would guarantee 100% effectiveness in the fight against the pine beetle; we would lose some trees no matter what we did. The Association took the lead and, while trees have been lost, the Eagles Nest area is still far ahead of surrounding areas in protecting the forest landscape.

Although the tree spraying program has saved an overwhelming majority of Lodgepole pines, the Association has not been completely satisfied with the results of our spraying effort to date; far too many trees have died. Consequently, the Board established special committees every year to reevaluate the program. Those committees met several times, consulting with forest officials, investigating the effectiveness and safety of spray chemicals, and interviewing four spraying contractors. In addition, the committees have also heard from a number of property owners who suggested that we simply stop spraying altogether.

The committees carefully weighed all the options in an effort to answer these questions: What is the best approach available to protect the forest from the pine beetle today? What can the Association do to preserve the forest so that it has a healthy future? First, the committees concluded that doing nothing would be disastrous. If our trees had no protection, they would all be immediately vulnerable to a pine beetle attack with the next infestation. Not spraying would lead to the loss of our entire Lodgepole forest in a matter of just a year or two. We can spend a few dollars to spray today, even though we may still lose some trees, or we can do nothing and spend much more money in the long run to cut and remove dead trees. Needless to say, the loss of our forest would mean a catastrophic decline in property values and would greatly elevate our vulnerability to wildfire. Second, the committees came to the conclusion that our tree spraying program (even though it does not guarantee a 100% success rate) along with other changes provides us with the only option that may save a great deal of the forest.

Accordingly, we have adopted the following

Mountain Pine Beetle Spray Policy for 2010:
• Mandatory spraying of all Lodgepole pines 4” in diameter and larger.
• Property owners are strongly encouraged to spray their smaller Lodgepole pines, the future of the forest.
• Thick stands of small Lodgepole pines and aspens should be thinned, leaving 8-10 feet of clearance between trees.
• Property owners should take steps to improve the health of their trees by fertilizing, thinning, and watering, as needed. Healthy trees are better able to withstand a pine beetle attack.
• Spruce and fir trees should be sprayed.
• The system used for marking trees will be continued and property owners will be given an opportunity to mark their own trees.
• Dead and infested trees marked by the Town must be removed by June 15, 2010. (Click here for a listing of Fire Mitigation Contractors )
• All spray crews will be required to pay strict attention to human safety, wind conditions, overspray, and their surroundings, including streams and playground equipment.
• All spray crews shall be required to wear proper safety equipment, including respirators, safety clothing, and gloves.

Do You Know the Location of Your Property Lines?
If you don't know where your property lines or lot pins are, the tree sprayer won't either. Clearly mark your property lines. You could be paying to spray some of your neighbor's trees.

Wildfire Protection Information
Colorado State University has a number of publications on-line that will help homeowners protect their properties from wildfires. Log onto their site at www.ext.colostate.edu and search the following publications:

Creating Wildfire-Defensible Space (6.302);

Fire-Resistent Landscaping (6.303);

Fire Wise Plant Materials (6.305);

Grass Seed Mixes to Reduce Wildfire Hazard (6.306).

ON THIS PAGE

Pine Beetle - Situation, Spraying, Tree Cutting

Fire Mitigation - contacts & tax deductions

Silverthorne Slash site

Noxious Weeds

Trash Collection Info

On-call Trash Collection
On-call trash collection is available to Eagles Nest residents, particularly part-timers.

Just make a call to one of the following trash collection companies and they will send out a truck to collect your trash: