OUR LANDS AND WILDLIFE
The mountains that tower nearby, the forests that cover much of the landscape, the rivers and streams that flow through the area, and the wildlife that shares our land are incredible amenities.
Increased visitation is putting greater pressure on our natural areas every year. This trend is likely to continue during the next 10 years. Our residents understand that protecting these features of our region requires constant vigilance and active management. Protecting these features also requires working with a variety of other local and regional entities, as nature pays no attention to political boundaries.
Fire Protection Program
Since 2006 the White River National Forest and local land managers, such as Summit County Open Space & Trails and Town of Breckenridge Open Space have been working with The Nature Conservancy to pilot fire protection programs on open space parcels through the planting of aspen trees as natural fuel breaks. Started on the 46-acre Barney Ford site, just outside of downtown Breckenridge, the project is testing aspen’s ability to reduce fire severity through increased moisture content, increased species diversity, and decreased flammability.