COSA Colorado Forest Tracker – Deadline Extended for Data Submission

Greetings,

The deadline for annual forest management data submissions to the Colorado Forest Tracker has been extended to July 14, 2025. We do not anticipate extending the deadline further in order to proceed with annual updates. The next opportunity to submit data will be in 2026.

The Colorado Forest Tracker serves as a transparent, comprehensive and open-access resource for forest and woody vegetation management activities across the state. The primary aim of the Colorado Forest Tracker is to support learning and adaptive management to improve forest management outcomes throughout Colorado. Submitting data ensures your work is not left out of vital tracking, forest planning, fire response, research and accomplishment reporting of forest management activities in Colorado.

We are accepting data on forest management completed from 2000 through 2024. To learn how to submit data, visit the Frequently Asked Questions.

What is in Colorado Forest Tracker Version 1?

Federal, state and local data sources
- Updates include voluntary data submissions from state, county, local, non-governmental and other partners carrying out forest management activities.
- The annual non-federal data submission opportunity is currently open until July 14. Check coloradoforestracker.org or sign up here for future email updates.
More than 1.5 million acres of total mapped management activities that cover more than 1.1 million acres of natural and working lands
- Completed woody vegetation management activities (forest canopy and surface management techniques, reforestation, prescribed fire)
- Activity location and acres managed
- Year completed, including activities from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2023
- Agency and funding source

The data can be visualized in a statewide data viewer or users can stream the data into their GIS software of choice (instructions provided for ArcGIS Pro).

Submit feedback and suggestions for the Colorado Forest Tracker through this online form to help us make improvements. Additional questions can be sent directly to the Colorado Forest Tracker team.

Thank you for your passion to steward Colorado’s forests.

Sincerely, on behalf of the Forest Tracker team,

Nicholas Kotlinski, Geospatial Data and Analysis Program Manager, Colorado State Forest Service

Brett Wolk, Associate Director, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute

www.coloradoforesttracker.org

Colorado Forest Tracker at a Glance

Over 25,000 forest management activities reported from more than 25 organizations across 84% of all Colorado counties
Total acres managed in Colorado (2000-2023): 1,555,376
Cumulative total of every forest management activity, including those that occurred in sequence on the same acre over time
Total footprint acres in Colorado: 1,194,085
Footprint acres are the total geographic extent of forests that received management activities, ensuring acres that experience one or more activities are only counted once
Total acres managed in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): 250,758
CSFS defines the WUI as where humans and their structures [i.e., housing density] meet or intermix with wildland fuels
Total acres of prescribed fire activities in Colorado: 538,428
Recent (2020-2023) acres managed (all activity types): 331,072
2020: 59,971
2021: 69,455
2022: 83,475
2023: 118,169
Since 2000, wildfire has occurred on more than 3.9 million acres in Colorado, with nearly 1 million wildfire acres since 2020. (Source: National Interagency Fire Center)
Tree planting on over 45,000 acres to accelerate reforestation

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The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) provides professional forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise, and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. For more information, visit csfs.colostate.edu.

Our mailing address is:
5060 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-5060