In 2019 the Crescent Park Land & Homeowners Association (CPL&HA) contracted Eric Folwell* of Rocky Mountain Resource Protection to produce a fire threat study of the upper Spruce Canyon Drive, including all of the adjacent roadways, and make recommendations that the HOA could undertake to mitigate that threat. Those recommendations became the basis of the Crescent Park Egress Project which is intended to significantly impact the ability for residents to escape and emergency vehicles to access the upper portions of Spruce Canyon Drive should a major wildfire event occur. The effort was scheduled to be completed on two separate dates.
On July 13, 2019 the HOA organized a Saws & Slaws Volunteer event and successfully mitigated 50 foot of road frontage along three properties on Spruce Canyon Drive. See the attached map for the project areas.
On August 14, 2021** part 2 of the project was successfully carried out, utilizing only Crescent Park volunteers, on three of the four remaining properties. The owners of the fourth property chose to mitigate their own property and completed that effort on September 3, thereby completing the Crescent Park Egress Project.
The HOA wishes to thank Saws & Slaws for the wonderful fire mitigation work they have conducted for the residents of Coal Creek Canyon and their contribution to our own Egress Project. Also, we thank the many volunteers of our own subdivision who came out to help secure safe passage in and out of upper Spruce Canyon Drive.
Egress Project Part 2, Details:
Event: Aug 14, 2021 CPL&HA held a Volunteer Fire Mitigation event.
Event Coordinator: Andy Melick
Event Hosts: Andy Melick & Inge Sengelmann
Resident volunteers included:
5 sawyers, three were homeowners of properties being mitigated
18 other volunteers helped swamp (drag slash to edge of road for access by chipper)
Chipping Service: Good People Tree Service
Provided chipper, two haul trucks and two crew/drivers
Operations:
0730: setup and operations instructions
0800: introductions and wavier signing
0815 - 1200: mitigation operations
1200 - 1300: lunch, hosted by Andy & Inge plus volunteer contributions
1300 - 1615: continued chipping into haul trucks (see notes below).
A total of 3 large & 3 medium truckloads of slash chips were hauled away. Since loading took less time than hauling, there was a significant amount of non-productive time waiting on truck availability. This was the cause of the after-lunch chipping work.
Requiring the slash chips to be hauled away, rather than broadcasting back onto the source properties, was a decision made by the property owners when it was learned that August was prime time for pine beetles to be active, potentially attracting them by the scent of freshly chipped wood.
* Eric Folwell, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, Rocky Mountain Resource Protection NWCG ENGB and Forestry Consultant to Boulder County.
** Due to Covid restrictions, part 2 of the project was not carried out in 2020 and was rescheduled for 2021.
Photos from the August 14, 2021 HOA sponsored Fire Mitigation Event (photos by Inge Sengelmann). Andy Melic was Event Coordinator. Photo 1: Chips being broadcast into waiting truck to be hauled away. The Good People Tree Service, Eric Kennedy owner. Photo 2: Slash being brought to the chipper from the Cook property. Photo 3: Work being done on the Coady property. Work area was down a steep slope making the removal of slash a challenge. Photo 4: Loading the chipper. Overall 3 large truckloads, shown in photo, and 3 smaller truck loads were removed. A successful mitigation event.