Public Works Director Russ Chameroy, right, and Town Forester Stefan Petersen accept the APWA award on behalf of the Town of Winter Park for its beetle kill mitigation efforts.

The Town of Winter Park has been recognized by the American Public Works Association (APWA ) for its beetle kill mitigation efforts. The APWA Colorado Chapter recognizes accomplishments in the public works industry for innovative programs, and this year the Town of Winter Park featured in the January 2010 Colorado Public Works Journal for the environmental design, maintenance and operations category.

The nomination was due to the Town’s ongoing project of picking up and disposing of beetle-infested trees for homeowners and property owners within the town’s limits. Thanks to a mill levy passed in 2004 by Winter Park voters, the Town was able to hire a Forester and crew in 2005 to assist homeowners in marking and removing infected trees. The town also purchased an air curtain burner to help burn the slash and debris safely and efficiently – without filling up the county’s already overcrowded landfill.

In 2009, Winter park’s mitigation program ran from May 18 to October 15, and each week during the summer dump trucks were loaded with slash and logs, which were then hauled off to the air curtain burner site. Not only does this help homeowners clean up their property, it is also more cost effective for the town and its residents.

With a lodgepole pine tree mortality rate of 90 percent, proper forest management is important as ever in helping to protect homes and properties from a forest fire.  Thanks to the foresight of the Winter Park Town Council and the town’s residents, the mitigation program has been well received and extremely effective.