COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Defense are launching a 10-year partnership to prevent wildfire risk around the Air Force Academy and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station.
The $7.3 million investment from the DOD will treat 2,000 acres of National Forest System land and non-federal lands near the two military installations. The partnership aims to do the following:
- remove unhealthy trees
- reduce dangerous fuels
- create firebreaks
- control lines
The following agencies partnered for the project:
- Colorado Springs Fire Department
- Forest Service
- Colorado State Forest Service
- Colorado Springs Utilities
- Air Force Civil Engineer Center
- U.S. Army
- Palmer Land Conservancy
- Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
The U.S. Forest Service says $3 million of funding will treat the following areas:
- Old Stage Road
- Gold Camp Road
- the east boundary of the Air Force Academy
The remaining $4.3 million will support additional treatments of around 1,000 acres at other military installations.
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'It's like this every day,' Peterson SFB employee says traffic out of base could be safety hazard
It's an area with a lot of construction. That work has Peterson Road just outside the north gate of Peterson Space Force Base down to two lanes.
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