Fall Chipping in BLE – September 20th – 24th!

A Colorado State Forest Service chipping crew will be in Beaver Lakes some time between September 20th – 24th. This is a great opportunity to protect your buildings and the forest. As we saw with the neighborhood evacuation for a fire last week and the constant smoke over the past few summers, forest fires are a reality.  Cleaning up your lot may help save your home. The cost for the crew and chipper is $150 per hour with an estimated cost of $75 per participant. (Renting a chipper in Buena Vista is about $400.)

Here is all you need to do:

• Email Tim Ratterman (Tim.Ratterman.BLE@gmail.com) to get on the list of lots for chipping. He will provide the forest service with a list of addresses and will bill you based upon the amount of time the crew reports they spent at your lot.
• Build piles next to the road with all the butt ends facing one way. This helps speed up the chipping.

• Do not include root balls. They can contain rocks that will damage the chipper.  Trees with root balls will be left next to the road.
• In addition to dead trees include green trees and branches that have been cut away from the perimeter of your buildings.
• Do not include any trees with a trunk diameter over 6”. That should be used for firewood.
• Sage can be included.
• Homeowners do not need to be home to participate. The crew appreciates the help if you are able.

Here is more information from the Colorado State Forest Service:

Protecting Your Home from Wildfire:  Creating Wildfire-Defensible Zones

The Board has hired BLE’s new resident caretaker, Stewart Clark, a member of the BLE community. He started part-time last week and will be transitioning to full-time this Fall. Stewart and his wife are in the process of building their new home at BLE, which they anticipate being able to live in by the Fall of 2022. They will live in the Caretaker’s cabin (Cabin 1) until then. He currently is the vehicle maintenance manager at Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA). He’s also worked for Colorado Mountain College in Rifle and owned his own landscaping firm. He has extensive experience in large equipment maintenance as well as very good overall experience for the tasks at BLE.

BLE is in the process of paying the Moyer Ranch $1,100 for the death of a calf which was struck by a car between the two gates on his ranch. BLE is responsible for injury and death to animals on his ranch. Unfortunately, no one stepped forward to admit the accident so the cost is being paid by all of us. It would be appreciated if the driver would contact the board. If anyone else has information about this accident, please contact the board. Additionally, we’d like to remind everyone to slow down. If you are unable to avoid a cow and hit it hard enough to kill it, you are driving way too fast.

Karen and Adam’s terms end in July 2021. There will be 2 spots available for the Board. Any member, in good standing, interested in serving on the Board, must email the Board a copy of your bio and stated intention to run for the Board no later than May 31, 2021. This will allow ballots to be printed and sent to the members the first week of June.