September 24, 2014 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Forests, Wildfire
Wildfires along Colorado’s Front Range, long assumed to be intensifying, may not be when understood in historical context before 20th-century firefighting, a new study finds.
The findings could complicate the analysis of whether thick forests should be thinned.
University of Colorado researchers, led by fire ecologist and geography professor Tom Veblen, analyzed 8,000 tree-ring samples, starting in 1996, and concluded that severe fires have been an inherent part of mountain ecosystems.
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September 11, 2014 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Forests, Wildfire
The main evergreen and aspen tree species making up Rocky Mountain forests are dwindling and likely will die out dramatically by 2060, according to a report by science advocacy groups.
It’s not clear what will replace them.
The Union of Concerned Scientists and Rocky Mountain Climate Organization report, unveiled Wednesday, draws on U.S. Forest Service data documenting tree deaths and projecting future growth based on climate.
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June 5, 2014 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Wildfire
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE — The dwindling of open space where bison can roam is hurting federal efforts to restore herds, forcing refuge managers to kill hundreds of bison and search for land links between protected areas.
But the bison on fenced preserves continue to multiply — 11 calves were born here this spring after recent forced herd reductions. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says she is working on ensuring large landscapes nationwide, increasingly by collaborating with private property owners.
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January 29, 2014 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Land, Wildfire
A $23 million chunk of Colorado’s share of the $25 billion federal mortgage banking settlement is being reallocated to help provide affordable housing — especially for residents of counties hammered by floods and wildfires.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced the shift Tuesday, saying rental vacancies have dwindled and too many displaced residents still are struggling to find new homes.
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September 30, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Forests, Wildfire
Gov. John Hickenlooper’s wildfire team unveiled an overhaul of how Colorado deals with the growing problem of people building houses in forests prone to burn, shifting more of the responsibility to homeowners.
The overhaul recommends that lawmakers charge fees on homes built in woods, rate the wildfire risk of the 556,000 houses already built in burn zones on a 1-10 scale and inform insurers, and establish a state building code for use of fire-resistant materials and defensible space.
Sellers of homes would have to disclose wildfire risks, just as they must disclose flood risks. And state health officials would adjust air-quality permit rules to give greater flexibility for conducting controlled burns in overly dense forests to reduce the risk of ruinous superfires.
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September 9, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Wildfire
More than 556,000 homes built in forest burn zones in Colorado could be rated for wildfire risk and the information made available to insurers under plans considered Wednesday by a state task force.
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July 22, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Wildfire
FRISCO —Coloradans living in forests are trying to fireproof their communities as larger and hotter wildfires destroy more homes and firefighting costs grow intolerable.
Increasing numbers of burn-zone residents are finding they have little choice but to coexist with wildfire — part of the natural environment and crucial to keeping forests healthy.
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July 22, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Forests, Wildfire
FRISCO —Coloradans living in forests are trying to fireproof their communities as larger and hotter wildfires destroy more homes and firefighting costs grow intolerable.
Increasing numbers of burn-zone residents are finding they have little choice but to coexist with wildfire — part of the natural environment and crucial to keeping forests healthy.
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County authorities and local fire chiefs are encouraging the shift toward greater self-protection, aided by the federally backed Fire Adapted Communities program.
July 20, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Water, Wildfire
HORSETOOTH RESERVOIR — Top U.S. environmental officials Friday began a push to protect the nation’s federally run water-supply reservoirs against wildfires.
The fear is that worsening wildfires will trigger erosion that damages dams, canals and pipelines, and shrinks water storage, ultimately driving up water costs for ratepayers.
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July 18, 2013 · The Denver Post
By Bruce Finley, Denver Post Staff Writer
Environment, Wildfire
Stafford Brochu, 75, has considered the costs of fireproofing as he rebuilds his 5,200 square foot stucco home that was destroyed by the Black Forest fire in June.
A heat-activated indoor sprinkler system would cost around $30,000, Brochu said. “And that doesn’t include the cost of the generator” to run the sprinklers if firefighters had to shut down electricity. “We’re talking a lot of money.”
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A journalist and lawyer, Bruce Finley has investigated local, national and international issues with on-site reporting in more than 40 countries. In his position as a staff writer for the Denver Post, he is focusing on environment-related news including water challenges, the oil and gas boom and wildfire.
