They are destroying our hiking trails!

Common sense.

Promote awareness of deviation of native forests and peoples

I use many of the Denver Mountain Parks to hike.

The tree-cutting is poorly-planned, and poorly-executed, and the slash remaining will invite MORE fires, not fewer fires.

The widespread cutting of trees at one time is harmful to ecosystem health, and is disruptive to native wildlife as well as the humans who frequent the parks for emotional and physical well being. Additionally I am concerned about the health of the watershed and the compaction of soil, and the overall disruption of soil microbiology which all slows down ecosystem recovery. Methods to protect the watershed and encourage water retention and soil health can and should play a far greater role in fire mitigation efforts. Smaller amounts of tree cutting over longer periods of time would be a preferable and wiser way of managing these lands. These life-giving areas have been entrusted to your care as stewards for future generations. Actions aligned with nature and a deep understanding of the interconnections of life processes, rather than purely economic efficiency should lead management decisions. Thank you.

Having grown up in Evergreen and Conifer, it’s devastating to view the disgraceful disregard of these beautiful parks and mess left behind. There’s more blow-down then ever before and the slash piles are very disturbing. Being an avid hiker to Flying J, Elk Meadow and 3 Sisters, it’s sad to see this clear cutting while hiking.

This project is being driven entirely by money. The grant money stipulates that 70% of the biomass (quoted from the park manager) will be removed to receive the money. This is not "science". This is not "forestry management". This is a brutal logging operation, driven by economics. If this project succeeds, it will not make the forest healthier. It will not make the forest more resilient to forest fire. Such drastic thinning will dry out the forest, making it more susceptible to fire. This is not what we need. We need a management plan that is more environmentally sensitive. DMP is failing to provide the necessary leadership. Instead, they are opting for a quick way to save a dollar.

This is NOT fire mitigation, this is clear cutting. Our trails are so ugly now. It’s so sad. And there are tree branches all over the trails, they didn’t even clean up after themselves after they took ALLL the trees out. It’s a hazard walking on the trails.

The development planned would do great harm to this area and add yet another unneeded convenience store

Cutting trees in the area is unnecessary and destroys the ecosystem

What they are calling fire mitigation is really just clear cutting.

They are clear cutting, not mitigating.

I have seen the absolute destruction of Alderfer/Three Sisters Park and I am horrified, depressed and angered by it. I will no longer use that park for walking and hiking and it previously was my favorite park. I took all my out of town guests there. Now it’s littered with fire hazard dead trees on the ground and is no longer a forest. The shade is gone and it’s an absolute mind boggling disaster area. We have all the ill effects of a massive wildfire yet we didn’t have a wildfire. The choice of which trees to cut and which ones to keep is also mind boggling — dead trees are kept and healthy ones are downed!!! Who was in charge of these ridiculous decisions?

I don’t believe what the city is doing is in the best interest of the parks or the public. More scientific data should be included in decision making. Plus transparency with the public before major tree cutting.

Save our beautiful trees! Don't cut them down! They make our parks shady, beautiful, and nice to picnic underneath.

In the mountain area of Conifer and Evergreen the trees cut are left on the ground and much more of a fire hazard. It also ruins the looks of the parks.

It would be nice to keep natural habitat as much as possible so as not to spoil the beauty.

we need MORE trees, not less
where are wildlife supposed to relocate?

The indiscriminate logging without a sound scientific basis, coupled with the refusal of county commissioners to involve an independent, non-public agency in their decision-making, raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.

The areas that were “treated” look like disaster zones, nothing grows but weeds, the remaining pines fall with the wind as they are not supported by other trees anymore. It’s just not OK

Because I love trees, and I hate the way they’re cutting them down.

While billed as "thinning" or "wildfire mitigation" what is actually happening is wholesale deforestation that is detrimental to wildlife, forest ecology, and the environment.

The egregious deforestation is destroying wildlife habitat and likely violating federal laws protecting certain aviary species. Within the Conifer and Staunton Park areas, Eagles, Goshawk, and woodpeckers rely on forest cover for hunting and the woodpeckers require decaying trees to make nests. All our federally, protected species and punishable by federal law. Dispossession of their habitat, particularly in the winter months and breeding season, disrupts the ecosystem. This disruption provides evasive species of insects to invade.
Over zealous fire mitigation is disrupting and collapsing long established aquifers that feed our water supply, affecting our water quality concerns in our wells and expanding drought issues for the Denver, Metro area and beyond. Insurance company such as Allstate and State Farm are requiring deforestation disallowing wind breaks and shade for our homes which is increasing our energy usage as well.
Lastly, I would encourage you to research Dr. Suzanne Simard, a groundbreaking, author and professor of ecology, University of British columbia. Her research has proven crucial forest management through the root network of Trees. Destroying trees cuts, communication and severs the knowledge that older trees are communicating through the root structures working together to maintain health of the forest.

Education about what occurs beyond the surface needs to be taken very seriously before further destruction of our mountain ecosystems reaches a point of no return.

It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation of our forests going on, makes no sense.

With the arrival of pine beetle invasion, healthy trees need to be preserved.

I think we are cutting live trees, for what purpose. Our Elk Creek park is now ruined by concrete and reveg, not sure where this is going.. nor the wonderful mtn park it once was. Stop cutting live trees.

Devastation to our open space parks and other areas is deplorable. It needs to stop.

I want to preserve the natural beauty of Colorado

The destruction of our parks is preventing my enjoyment of them in particular due to the mastication left on the ground. It is creating a fire hazard when the tree cutting is supposedly to make us safer.