Thursday, 10 June 2010 13:55

New federal funding to combat bark beetles isn't on the way after all. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., announced Wednesday that senators would send $50 million for the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service to remove dangerous, dead trees near campgrounds and reservoirs. However, the amendment by Udall and other Western senators did not make it into the final version of an emergency funding bill for the military and disaster relief. "Anyone driving west on I-70 understands the seriousness of this problem, and I'm disappointed this amendment failed to be included in this bill, especially now with fire season around the corner," Udall said in a prepared statement Friday. Udall said he would keep seeking additional funding for the beetle threat.

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Wednesday, 12 May 2010 13:10

The U.S. Forest Service wants to burn and mulch the forest surrounding the Roaring Fork basin at an unprecedented level over the next five years to restore wildlife habitat described by officials as being in “horrible” condition. The White River National Forest supervisor's office in Glenwood Springs is considering prescribed burns, mechanical treatment with heavy machinery or a combination of the two on about 57,000 acres.

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Thursday, 01 April 2010 13:15

Property owners may subtract from federal taxable income 50% of the costs incurred in performing wildfire mitigation measures as long as they meet certain criteria, including living within a wildland urban interface and performing mitigation according to a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP).

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Tuesday, 23 March 2010 13:24

Republicans angered over the passage of health care legislation Sunday have blocked a hearing scheduled by U.S. Sen. Mark Udall for this afternoon on how to protect Colorado cities and towns from the hazards of the beetle infestation that has ravaged millions of acres of lodge pole pine tress here.

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