COLORADO — Six years after the Cameron Peak Fire burned more than 200,000 acres across Northern Colorado, restoration work continues in areas where forests have struggled to naturally recover.
Near Highway 14 and Poudre Canyon Road, Denver7 met Morgan Cannon, Northern Colorado project coordinator with the National Forest Foundation. She took us into the Cameron Peak burn scar to see some of that restoration work firsthand.
As we drove through the winding canyon, we began seeing the remains of the 2020 wildfire.
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The Cameron Peak Fire was the largest wildfire in Colorado’s recorded history, burning an area larger than Denver.
After passing more of the burn scar, we arrived at Black Hollow, where the National Forest Foundation and its partners are planting trees as part of the restoration effort.
“So here’s an example of one of our lodgepole pine seedlings. So this seedling is two years old,” Cannon said.
But while many forests across Colorado can naturally regenerate after a wildfire, Cannon said Black Hollow is an area where restoration is especially important.
“A lot of forests in Colorado are adapted for fire, and they will come back on their own, and we are seeing that across the Cameron Peak burn scar,” Cannon said. “But it's important in areas like Black Hollow that are a priority watershed and really important that we're taking action to restore.”
So far, more than 80,000 trees have been planted as of June this year.
For Brian Smith, who was working as a firefighter during the Cameron Peak Fire, seeing the restoration effort years later is meaningful.
“I was in town, and once it made its way through all here, kind of closer into Fort Collins, we had crews on it, and it was just a big effort,” Smith said.
Smith said he believes restoration can help areas that were hit especially hard by the fire.
“I think they're looking at the long game, and nature does a good job of restoring itself after fires,” Smith said. “But with the severity of the burn, I think a little kickstart to help some of those places that really got nuked certainly will help with the erosion and the wildlife.”
Cannon said there is no specific end date for the restoration work at Black Hollow.
“I think we don't have an end goal per se for this area,” Cannon said. “We're just gonna continue our work each year with the opportunities and the priorities that the Forest Service sets for us.”
The trees planted today may still look small, but the hope is that they will eventually grow into a healthy forest for future generations to enjoy.
