Roundtable for ecologically-minded locals to discuss science-based ways for our communities to safely co-exist with wildfire without clearcutting and destroying the publicly-owned forests we love.

Sunday, June 8 @ 3:30 pm, Boulder Main Library (Flatirons Room)

RSVP at coloradosmokescreen@proton.me or fill out contact form at bottom of post.

RIGHT NOW, our municipal, county, state, and federal governments are proposing millions of acres of aggressive, experimental forest “fuel reduction” across our Front Range public lands, including around Nederland.

Despite evidence from several hundred peer reviewed studies conducted by hundreds of scientists contesting the efficacy of cutting down forests in the name of wildfire—on top of findings from these governments’ OWN studies—and mounting community concerns about what’s shaping up to be the largest land scheme in nearly a century, these agencies (i.e. U.S. Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service, County Open Space, City Mountain Parks) have unilaterally decided to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to convert much of our public forests into sacrifice zones.

While there are scientifically proven ways to protect our communities from wildfire—home hardening and defensible space pruning up to 100 feet around homes—AT BEST this forest clearing (which often includes clearcutting and mature and old growth tree removal) is hotly debated in the scientific literature, and at worst it’s been shown to INCREASE the threat by drying and heating forests and opening them to wind spread.

U.S. Forest Service “fuel reduction” in Roosevelt National Forest (2025)

As our governments and most elected officials refuse to allow meaningful engagement on the issue, it’s up to ecologically-minded concerned citizens to come together to offer a better vision of how we can co-exist with the forests we love without (often ineffectively and counterproductively) destroying them.

If you’re concerned about any of the above, you’re invited to the first Boulder County Forest Protection Sharing Session, where you’ll have an opportunity to:

-See photos and videos of what local so-called “fuel reduction” actually looks like

-Learn about the vast and growing body of peer reviewed science (and evidence from government studies) contradicting the industry/agency narrative

-Give your opinion on the issue and listen to what others have to say

-Connect with like-minded community members 

-Join with a local, statewide, regional, and national effort to ACTUALLY protect forests and communities

(If you SUPPORT the current cutting and/or would like to see more of it, you have every right to your opinion. However, these Sharing Sessions are for those of us who’d like to see LESS cutting, and anyone attempting to disrupt the meeting will be asked to leave).

RSVP below!