Meeker Park site closed for the season

Boulder County’s popular drop-off site for wood, slash and other woody biomass material collected on private lands in Boulder County closed for the season on September 30. The closure was necessary to process the existing biomass material at the site before seasonal weather impedes continuing operations at the Allenspark/Meeker Park site.

The site, located just north of Meeker Park at 8170 Hwy 7, is operated by Boulder County in partnership with Larimer County. There is no charge for residents of either county to use the site.

Residents dealing with mountain pine beetle-infested trees are encouraged to continue to process wood at their properties so it can be dropped off next spring in advance of the beetle flight window beginning July 1. The site accepts any size material, with no diameter limit, but lengths greater than 8-foot, 3-inches (in two-foot increments) allow trees to be sorted used for wood products.

Peak to Peak Wood, a grant program managed by the Colorado State Forest Service, processes trees based on their condition and value for products, specifications for which can be seen at the Peak to Peak Wood web site: www.peaktopeakwood.org. There are also outlets where residents can haul trees that pay for the material, but proper lengths and other products specifications must be met. For information about these market outlets, visit the Peak to Peak Wood web site.

Next year, Boulder County intends to open one or more similar collection sites in the spring to allow landowners more opportunities to drop off their wood and slash earlier in the season. The County is working with the towns and unincorporated areas along the Peak-to-Peak corridor to establish additional drop-off sites for 2009.

For more information, visit: www.bouldercounty.org/foresthealth or email pinebeetle@bouldercounty.org.