Report of the Health of Colorado's Forest (2015)

This year marks a milestone in tracking forest health and management in Colorado, with this publication representing the 15th annual report on the health of Colorado’s forests. Throughout this period, we’ve witnessed many landscapelevel changes across Colorado. The forces and circumstances that have come together – climate and weather events, insects and diseases, wildfire and human impacts – have contributed to dramatic changes in the age and structure of our forests. And substantial growth is predicted in our wildland-urban interface, where human habitation intersects with natural vegetation and undeveloped land – an area currently only about 20 percent developed in Colorado. Increased development will make forest management even more challenging than in the past.