Forestry Department
The Forestry Department is responsible for the health of our forests within Town limits, including tree and slash removal and mitigation.
Tree Removal
The Town of Winter Park has adopted a Nuisance Ordinance (Ordinance 467, Series 2013) that requires the removal of any trees that are dead, dying or diseased, or are in the process of dying as a result of being blown over or leaning precariously toward a structure.
The presence of these type of trees in the town presents a real and substantial risk to the public in the form of an increased risk of a rapidly spreading fire and a significant threat to the aesthetic values which are of great importance to the social and economic vitality of the Town.
If these trees are within or near power lines, please call Mountain Park Electric (MPE) Operations Department at (970) 887-3378 ext. 281 or 244.
When MPE receives a request from a property owner, they will send out a crew to determine if a tree is within their easement and if it is, they will have it scheduled for removal. The property owner should mark the trees they believe are within the MPE easement with marking tape prior to calling them for a site visit. This only applies to MPE’s main power lines, they will not remove trees that may threaten a secondary power line which is the line that runs from the power pole to a structure. MPE will drop the secondary power line for the property owner while the trees are removed but the actual cost for tree removal is the responsibility of the property owner.
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Tree and Slash Removal Project
The Town assists residents with the removal of dead and disease-infested trees and with trees removed to create defensible space around a structure. This program runs from June-September.
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Open Fire Management Plan
The Town recognizes that open fires can be a prime cause of forest and brush fires within Grand County and that smoke from open fires can be a nuisance and a health hazard.
Forest Service
To avoid disappointment, be sure to call the Sulphur Ranger District’s Visitor’s Information Hotline at (970) 887-4100 before planning your trip or heading out to the trailhead. Sign up for updates by emailing us, stop by the station at 9 Ten Mile Drive in Granby, visit our website, or follow us on Twitter.
Caution Advisement
Even with all the work being done, forest visitors should be extremely cautious when recreating in the Arapaho National Forest. Dead and live trees can fall without warning. Visitors should avoid patches of dead trees, especially on windy days. Make sure to park vehicles and place tents and RVs in areas away from dead trees and take a saw or ax with you to remove fallen trees from roads to avoid becoming trapped.
Forestry Department
Jamie Wolter
Public Works Director
jwolter@wpgov.com
(970) 726-8081 ext. 212
80500 US Highway 40
P.O. Box 3327
Winter Park, CO 80482
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
