By Judy Kunz, Colorado Master Gardener

Since its inception in 1955, the mission of the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) has been to provide staffing and technical assistance for the Division of Forestry, an agency of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The Service operates 18 field offices that provide forest and timber management services and education for landowners in the state.

CSFS provides technical assistance, expertise regarding wildfire mitigation, outreach, and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. Their mission is “to achieve stewardship of Colorado’s diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations.” Each year, CSFS assists in restoring more than 20,000 acres of forest land and has helped approximately 6,400 landowners and hundreds of communities to improve forest health.

The objectives of CSFS include reforestation of areas that have been affected by beetle infestation and fires with the goal of reducing soil erosion, enhancing wildlife, protecting water supplies, reclaiming mining areas, and providing living fences for the purpose of wind and snow protection. The agency provides educational information to Colorado citizens with the long-term plan of achieving resilient forests and communities. Using a scientific approach, they educate the public about current issues in forestry management.

(left) CSFS Nursery near the Foothills Campus, CSU. (right) Conifer seedlings. Photos: Colorado State Forest Service.

In addition, the service maintains a greenhouse and surrounding grounds that propagate seedlings of native conifer and deciduous trees. Located near Colorado State University’s Foothills Campus, the facility sits on 130 acres of fields and greenhouses where trees are propagated from seed. All seedlings are used for conservation and reforestation efforts in Colorado and neighboring states. Seedlings are provided at no cost to landowners who have been impacted by natural disasters. Deciduous seedlings are also available for purchase to both the green industry and private landowners for the purpose of reforestation.

In response to a recent $10.3 million allocation by the Colorado state legislature, the facility has more than quadrupled its seedling production for the purpose of reforesting lands destroyed by wildfires and beetle infestation. In 2023 the nursery raised 500,000 seedlings, which included Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine and blue spruce. With improvements made possible by the recent funding, the projected number of seedlings grown this year will total 2 million. For information regarding how to make donations to various CSFS programs, including Restoring State Forest Service Fund, Colorado Bark Beetle Mitigation, Forest Legacy Monitoring Endowment, and the Tom Borden Tree Account, access this website: https://csfs.colostate.edu/support-colorados-forests/