Frequent, low to moderate wildfires were once common in the forested foothills and mountains west and southwest of Denver. But in the mid 1800’s settler, mining and entrepreneur (prospecting, trapping, trading) activity began to replace natural disturbance and indigenous cultural uses as the primary influence on Front Range forests. Since then, fire suppression practices designed to protect human life and property as populations grow, along with historic grazing and mining activities, have impacted the way forests function. Tree densities have increased while forest diversity has decreased, resulting in less resilient forests, higher fuel loads, and more intense fires. Fires like these frequently result in devastating post-fire flooding, erosion, and debris flow events along with many other negative impacts to people, water, and wildlife in this watershed.
(Photograph taken by John Jack of an area on the Pike National Forest “never visited by lumbermen” (Jack 1900), illustrating the open nature of ponderosa pine stands and a diverse stand structure. Also pictured are snags, downed wood, and an herbaceous understory. Source: GTR-373. Used with permission.)