Dear Editor,

It has been almost 20 years since, out of frustration, Gilpin County was moving  slowly on dealing with the Pine Beetle infestation. I called for a Citizens Initiative on Beetle Kill and was successful in gathering the support of 350 citizens, who purchased pheromone packs to protect trees on their property and take advantage of the tree spraying specials arranged for their convenience.

At that time, the county biomass system was new and very effectively collected and dealt with downed trees. Volunteer firemen cooperated by cutting trees along the road rights-of-way.

The Department of Interior was significantly understaffed, with just one person overseeing the entire grasslands as well as the forests of Colorado. He could not see the advantage of a plan to utilize the volunteer firefighters and trained citizens, (who could sign a disclaimer because it seemed clear that liability was a major concern). This group could go into the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and cut down diseased trees.

I doubt that the situation with federal oversight has improved, but if some muscle could be put to a volunteer cutting program in the forest – not just depending on people attending to their own  property, it is possible to reduce the amount of loss of trees, but loss of property with the wildfires.

While I no longer live there, I have not forgotten my love for the beauty and the feeling of responsibility I felt to protect it.

I hope those reading this will consider  what an impact a group of trained and competent firefighters with another level of trained citizen can have in saving the counties (Gilpin, Boulder, and Clear Creek) can have.

Is there anyone who still has information on the pheromones used in the first  initiative? This vendor was extremely cooperative in providing thousands of these packets at a discounted cost, and willing to be paid as people bought them from us. I shudder at the possible outcome and wish all working on it the best.

Nan Harvey

Florence, Oregon