The Columbine Ranger District office in Bayfield is seeking public comments during the planning phase of the Vallecito-Piedra Integrated Vegetation Management Project. Comments are due by Aug. 8.

The proposal is to use mechanical thinning, timber harvesting, prescribed fire and managed natural fire on 80,334 acres of national forest land. The work will be done in phases over several years depending on available budgets, contractor schedules, weather conditions and other factors. Activities within smaller treatment units would generally be accomplished within one or two operating seasons.

The project area includes the Vallecito area east to the Columbine District boundary near Sheep Mountain, south to U.S. Highway 160, and back west to the Beaver Meadows and Grassy Mountain areas.

Project goals are to create and maintain vegetation conditions that support desirable fire behavior; improve ecosystem diversity and resilience to disturbance from fires, insects, disease and climate change; reduce risk to life, property and natural resources; reduce financial costs of wildfire suppression; provide timber products to support industry and local demands; increase forage for livestock; improve wildlife habitat diversity and forage.

Input should be submitted by Aug. 8 to either Jay Godson, Columbine District assistant fire management officer/Fuels Project leader, or Cam Hooley, Columbine District environmental coordinator. Comments may be submitted via mail to P.O. Box 439, Bayfield, CO 81122, dropped off at 367 South Pearl Street, Bayfield, or via email at jsgodson@fs.fed.us or chooley@fs.fed.us.

To views maps and documents on the proposal, visit http://bit.ly/2a1tTMX.

Input received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record and will be available for public inspection.

For more information, contact the Columbine Ranger District at 884-2512.