Both Windy Peak and Mt. Blue Sky campuses have been undertaking major forest health, ecological restoration, and wildfire mitigation efforts over the past year. As with so much of the Front Range, the mountain landscapes of Evergreen and Bailey that surround Outdoor Lab have been experiencing worsening drought conditions, making the need to decrease wildfire hazards of paramount importance.

While reducing fire risk is the primary driver of the work, there are many other benefits of the forest management plans we are implementing. The work will diversify plant life and make the landscape more resilient to drought and other threats such as pine beetle infestation. The projects will establish a lower tree density on the sites, and a diverse plant community under it, which is great for all types of birds, insects, and wildlife – we expect more songbirds to come in and visits from ungulates like deer, elk, and moose to increase in frequency. Moreover, we will be able to reset our forests to conditions that existed more readily over 100 years ago before major fire suppression efforts took place. This means a variety of tree species more evenly distributed across age and size, and established (or reestablished) in places where they are best adapted.

This work is not possible without incredible partners and lots of funding. We are particularly grateful for the work of the Jefferson Conservation District (JCD) and the Colorado State Forest Service(CSFS), who are leading the work on Mt. Blue Sky and Windy Peak, respectively. The Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office and CORE Electric Coop are also taking the lead on defensible space projects on Mt. Blue Sky in particular.

The project on Mt. Blue Sky is expected to exceed $1 million and is being led by the Jefferson Conservation District. The Outdoor Lab Foundation helped JCD secure a $450,000 grant from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program – a federal program managed by the Department of Agriculture. JCD is pooling other sources of funding from the Colorado State Forest Service, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Colorado Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and FEMA.

The Colorado State Forest Service has been dispersing similar grant funds to Windy Peak project contractors directly. In addition, to their internal planning work, scouting Windy Peak, flagging trees, and developing goals for the post treatment condition of the forest, the CSFS funded a contract of over $193,000 to ensure Windy Peak’s work could start this year.

Be on the lookout for updates on the work, pre-post photos, and field trip opportunities to see the work on the ground. Thank you for your support and understanding while we strive to make Outdoor Lab a safe, ecologically healthy, and awe-inspiring place for our young people to explore and learn.